IPVanish Review (Secure, Reliable & Easy to Use)

IPVanish is an all-around VPN with a long list of excellent features. Whether you want an easy-to-use VPN or one that provides encryption for securing your online activity, IPVanish might be a perfect choice.

Over the past few days, I’ve thoroughly tested IPVanish VPN to determine its security, speed performance, ability to unblock major streaming sites, and more.

This VPN provider is reliable. As I sat down analyzing the results, it became clear that IPVanish does its job well if you configure your settings right. It offers blazing speeds to ensure you get the fastest connections and class-leading streaming performance possible.

On top of its intuitive apps, the US-based IPVanish has a decent-sized server network; accessing the websites you want to watch hot 4k videos is only a few clicks away. Its support for 10 simultaneous connections is great for the whole house.

Internet users looking for extra security features for complete online freedom and protection, IPVanish is worth the hype. It boasts multi-grade encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, multiple VPN protocols, and a strict no-logs policy.

The US-based VPN exclusively offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you try out the service at no risk to your wallet. Today we’re going to be reviewing IPVanish to see why this VPN is the best in my book.

IPVanish is a high-quality VPN that provides more than a secure environment for daily web activity. Once you establish its connection, your web browsing, file-sharing, messaging, and video streaming pass through a VPN encrypted tunnel while your identity is masked.

Shout out to its 1,900+ servers in over 75 locations, giving users the power to surf around the web anonymously, no matter where they’re located.

It has a lot to offer than it promotes on its homepage. Let’s head on over to everything about IPVanish in a bit of detail.

Yes. IPVanish is among the few US-based VPN providers that offer users a safe online experience everywhere. The company does just exactly what it says on its website –high online security at an affordable price.

I was really impressed with its level of security. IPVanish provides a dozen of security features that are designed to protect you.

They include; industry-grade encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and multiple security protocols.

• Military-Grade Encryption

Do you want to prevent snooping and spying while on public Wi-Fi? If so, you need to look at the level of encryption your VPN offers. Go a step further and check how well the feature is implemented.

IPVanish uses 256-bit AES encryption – the strongest cipher used by many governments today to safeguard its internet traffic.

I’m impressed with how this feature safeguards your information even if your web traffic gets intercepted by invaders while on public Wi-Fi networks.

With your smartphone, you can install IPVanish mobile apps from Google PlayStore to encrypt your web connection. This keeps hackers from accessing your emails, passwords, mobile banking transactions, and more.

• A Kill Switch

A kill switch is nowadays becoming a must-have feature for every VPN. IPVanish isn’t an exception. An automatic kill switch on IPVanish shuts down your internet traffic just in the event your VPN connection stops working.

Your device (laptop, PC, phone) will be disconnected from the internet until the VPN connection is restored. The feature is automatic, so you don’t have to command it.

When testing, I was worried that IPVanish offers the feature only on its Android, Windows and Mac OS apps. This leaves your connection on iOS and Linux devices in limbo – iPhone users can try out NordVPN or CyberGhost.

• Leak Protection

When your DNS requests accidentally run through your regular traffic, there’s a high chance that your ISP will track your online activity. Instead, use the IPVanish to combat such cases all the time.

During my tests, I checked out the DNS leak protection when connected to IPVanish servers and found no DNS/WebRTC/IPv6 leaks. IPVanish fulfills its promise. It makes your IP address vanish!

The IPVanish’s DNS leak prevention technology hides your IP address, stopping your ISP from interfering with your connection.

Not even hackers or government spies can spy on what you’re doing online. I also performed WebRTC leaks, which came back negative.

It allowed me to safely stream what I wanted without fear of anyone monitoring my online movements.

• Security Protocols

IPVanish is offering several security protocols at the moment to allow you to create a VPN connection.

Most users chose OpenVPN (TCP or UDP) over other protocols. It’s an open-source currently used by VPNs and earns a reputation of not only security but speed as well.

IKEv2 is another solid option you can opt for if you’re using iOS devices. IPVanish also supports archaic and less capable L2TP and PPTP protocols. Only use them as the last resort option because they’re vulnerable.

The addition of WireGuard to the list marks a tremendous performance improvement from a security and speed standpoint.

Did you know your data is often monitored when you’re torrenting or streaming sites such Netflix, Kodi, and more? Online surveillance by governments, third parties and even your ISP is very common these days.

A great VPN gives you peace of mind. IPVanish stands out from other VPN services by keeping your online life private. It achieves this through:

• Strict no logging policy

IPVanish doesn’t keep logs. To make up for this fact, the company has an established no-logs policy. Unlike other cheap VPNs, IPVanish deserves more praise for creating and, more importantly, for implementing a strict no-logs policy.

This wasn’t the case 5 years ago where the company was entangled in a privacy scandal. But it made some improvements in the aftermath of the scandal, including operating under different ownership.

StackPath Company currently owns IPVanish, and it seems to be improving its product’s reputation. Talk of transparent logging policy and independent 3^rd-party audit lately.

IPVanish states on its website, “We don’t sell or rent your personal information to third parties.”

They only track non-personal data that comes to its site using cookies, pixels, Google analytics, and other similar technologies.

• Location

The fact that IPVanish is based in the US raises red flags for every interested user. It might not be the best scenario due to the country’s firm stance on privacy.

Being a member of the watchful 5/9/14 alliance is another subject that aggravates some of my concerns. Known authoritarian bodies like NSA and CIA engage in invasive practices, claiming to safeguard data.

Many VPN-related organizations are served a warrant to hand over users’ data. Although the big question surrounding this remains significant, you should not be worried.

With the new ownership, this problem has been resolved. The management promises a watertight solution – doesn’t log personal data. Even if the IPVanish is summoned, it won’t have anything to turn over to the authorities.

The server count for IPVanish is damn good. Currently, IPVanish serves you with over 1900 servers across 75 server locations. The numbers may look smaller than those of high-end VPNs such as NordVPN, but the overall performance was astounding at the time of testing.

All these servers are well-distributed all around the world. Whether you’re in the US, the UK, Israel, Canada, the Middle East, or Asia, you can access servers for different needs.

It’s worth noting that IPVanish doesn’t rent all of its servers as most VPN vendors do, instead, it has opted to manage the entirety of its server network

By doing so, the company has full control over security and quality, which I considered an advantage in terms of privacy. IPVanish comes with P2P-optimized servers that crack the invincible, geo-blocked torrenting sites.

It means you can download large files without any warning as long as you’re connected to optimized servers for torrenting. There are also 40,000+ shared IPs.

Regardless of how pretty the server network is, make sure you connect to the nearby servers (servers close to your physical location) to achieve the best speeds possible.

Choose the fastest servers to stream in HD. Given all of that, I wouldn’t be pissed off with IPVanish’s small count, the VPN service delivered what I expected from a top VPN.

It’s normal for a VPN to cause slower connection speeds. Buffering is another common issue while streaming videos. But with the fastest VPN, the difference in speed should be barely noticeable.

Keep in mind that connection speed is measured based on download speed, upload speed, and latency. IPVanish claims to offer fast speeds through its servers around 75 locations.

To see if IPVanish is a genuinely superfast VPN, I ran several speed tests using Ookla’s Speedtest.net before and after connecting to VPN servers. This would provide a clear picture of how IPVanish performs against its competition in terms of speed.

I tested four different servers from my location in the US – two US servers, one UK server, and one Australia server. Although the VPN registered speed loss, the results were pleasant for me.

While my baseline speed was 68.14 Mbps, the average speed for IPVanish consistently performed at the top of my daily speed tests, with the best results hitting around the 41.70 Mbps mark.

Theoretically, these incredible speeds mean that streaming TV shows, videos, and online gaming should be lag-free when connected to its servers.

Speed tests with IPVanish VPN servers are as follows:

My baseline speed results:

First, I got a peak download speed of 25.46 Mbps when connected to my local server in Atlanta.  Although the ping rate increased, the speed was way more than what I needed to watch videos.

When I connected to New York servers, my hovering download speed of 21.84 Mbps let me watch HD videos on Netflix.

I didn’t stop there; I put the Manchester UK server into tests. Despite the download speed decrease and the ping increase, about 27.24 Mbps kept me in the game.

Finally, the Australian server seemed to score the lowest speed rate. At only 41.70 Mbps and an increased ping rate, I experienced some bugs and lags.

Overall, IPVanish isn’t on par with NordVPN, but it’s on the list of 10 fastest VPNs. I noticed that the WireGuard technology fires up the speed.

Most of us rely entirely on VPNs for unblocking streaming sites. It’s for this reason we choose a particular VPN to achieve our motives.

IPVanish has location-spoofing abilities on its horizon. It’s an ultra-fast service that unblocks popular streams out there. Generally speaking, I was impressed.

During my tests, I didn’t have issues connecting to some platforms with IPVanish VPN. When connected to California, New York, Chicago, and Dallas, it bypassed US Netflix blocks. That’s so wonderful! Sadly, IPVanish officially supports US Netflix catalogs and no other libraries.

And it will only work if you choose OpenVPN as your preferred protocol. What’s more? I wouldn’t recommend this VPN because it doesn’t guarantee access to other international catalogs.

I rejoiced to see IPVanish unblock Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock. The P2P servers add more reliability to your connection. The quality of the videos was fine. Another bit of good news is that IPVanish got around most US TV channels such as ABC, NBC, and CBS.

If any case you encounter regionally restricted Dailymotion or YouTube videos – IPVanish will unblock it

Although US Netflix is accessible, I experienced some setbacks with it too. IPVanish didn’t work with Hulu and BBC iPlayer at the time of this review.

The situation is quite similar with Amazon Prime Video. British TV fans need to seek help elsewhere to watch unlimited TV shows.

For sure, there are underlying streaming limitations when using the IPVanish service. Some of which the company can fix by incorporating its SmartDNS into the VPN. It should be remembered that many VPN providers offer it for free.

IPVanish may not be the best VPN for streaming. You can get plenty of VPNs with top-of-the-line security features to get the job done. Try your luck with other premium VPNs. NordVPN is an alright alternative if unblocking content in censored sites is what you’re after.

Tip: Deciding which VPN for streaming will work for you depends on what you want to stream or watch. Make sure your choice meets your streaming needs before subscribing.

Does IPVanish Support Torrenting?

Yes. While IPVanish doesn’t advertise engaging in secure torrenting, it’s one of the dependable VPN services great for torrents. IPVanish can be leveraged to support unlimited P2P connections on all servers.

I was happy with the service response as it worked well with BitTorrent. I used Popcorn Time which is a pretty torrent streaming client.

All its servers are proprietary – meaning they’re well maintained and highly secure. With its AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection, nobody can decode your downloads.

Besides, the free SOCKS5 proxy protects users’ privacy while torrenting. The setups ensure fast speeds through compatible servers without suffering congestion.

For those looking for the safest way to download files in countries where torrenting sites are restricted, IPVanish opens the door for you.

Overall, my tests have shown that custom IPVanish apps are available on popular operating systems. It supports mobile platforms with dedicated apps for iOS and Android.

IPVanish service also offers apps for Windows and Mac users. For the desktop version of the app, just download the app and log in to it. You’re going to get on the landing screen.

There are drop-down server options from which you can select your nearby server. You can also connect automatically by pressing the Quick Connect button. Click the Disconnect button on the right if you need to cancel your connection.

I liked the handy Settings menu on the Windows app. Here you’ll not only tweak your server connection preferences but also toggle the security features, ranging from leak protection to kill switch.

The interface on desktop (both macOS and Windows) looks pretty similar, simpler, and informative.

I tested IPVanish on Android and iOS – it supports only IKEv2 or OpenVPN. But it no longer runs on PPTP, which is helpful because the protocol is already insecure and outdated.

The IPVanish desktop apps are as secure as mobile apps. It’s not common to find such with other VPN competitors. You’ll get fewer security features on different apps. So, IPVanish is a standout as far as its platform support goes.

As well as Linux, IPVanish offers apps for streaming devices. The provider will work with Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, and Kodi. Thanks to a dedicated add-on for Kodi. You can access any content that’s restricted in your region while staying private.

You can still use Apple TV with IPVanish, even though you need to configure it on a router. A tomato or DD-WRT router is the best to make it work.

IPVanish has no limits on the number of connected devices, which is great if you have a lot of devices that you want to secure.

IPVanish also allows router-level configuration.  Just install the VPN on your router and have unmetered connections. This is more than enough to secure all your connected devices and entire home network.

No. It won’t break the Great Firewall of China. We may assume that undue internet restriction is a thing of the past when connected to a VPN. That’s not always the case with IPVanish – it doesn’t focus on obfuscation features. Or rather, it doesn’t offer obfuscated servers yet.

Obfuscated servers camouflage your VPN traffic, making it appear like regular HTTPS traffic. The technology ensures everything is obscure, unintelligible, or unclear.

IPVanish VPN won’t be a suitable choice to use in China. Look for a VPN that offers specialty features – NordVPN allows you to circumvent sites even in China.

All IPVanish apps are user-friendly. They have a truly excellent map interface for beginners – probably the simplest to use I’ve seen from any VPN provider.

It’s easy to download and install the VPN on your devices. IPVanish provides a comprehensive setup guide for each platform.

Get the Android app on Google Play Store. If you’re using iPhones, download the app from the App Store. Many settings are set by default, but you can twist everything to your personal needs and preferences.

When I logged in for the first time, I was welcomed by optional tutorials alongside articles for further guidance.

Like other apps, the Android app is lightweight. You don’t need to free up storage space on your smartphone or uninstall apps to accommodate it. It takes up 31 MB only, leaving enough space for other downloads.

You’ll get a server list, a page of settings, a Quick Connect/Disconnect button, account details, information, and nothing much else. Interchanging servers for speed and anonymity is straightforward too.

The only challenge is that some apps may look complex simply because they’ve more functionality.

IPVanish has put a responsive Help section in place to support its users. The channels for support include:

• 24/7 live chat
• Email support
• FAQs
• Phone support

If you need urgent help, go straight to the 24/7 live chat and start the conversation. The chatbot generates answers that match your keywords/questions. If your questions are very complex, you can send them an email.

The representatives are knowledgeable and helpful. Its active developers will instantly address any problem you may run into with the VPN service at any time of the day.

IPVanish provides you with informational articles and step-by-step guides to get started using the service. You can as well learn how to troubleshoot it.

The company has vastly improved its customer service. It offers live phone support, which is integrated into 7 languages. Phone support is a rarity in the VPN industry.

Everything is accessible in the member’s area. That’s incredible!

How much does IPvanish cost? While you may prioritize speed and security, pricing is another crucial factor when choosing a VPN. You can purchase it in four different subscription plans – a 1-month, 3-month, yearly plan, or 2-year plan.

Get a longer plan to enjoy huge discounts. A month-to-month plan is highly-priced. The price was $3.20/month at the time of this review. The pricing keeps on adjusting depending on seasons, though.

You can pay for the VPN service using PayPal, Amex, or credit cards. But it doesn’t accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which is somewhat a disappointment to potential customers.

IPVanish offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with its service, you can get a refund as long as you request within 30 days of the purchase.

I do recommend IPVanish. The VPN offers good value for money, reliability, and dependability. It provides lightning-fast speeds and for top of the line VPN encryption for securing your online activity.

Solid privacy features like no-logs policy, a kill switch, and SOCKS5 proxy make it an ideal VPN for streaming. It unblocks most streaming services from anywhere.

Although its price pushes it into the high-end VPN bracket, IPVanish blesses its users with a fleet of servers to choose from.

P2P connections are also allowed when connected to IPVanish, making it among the few US-based VPNs to permit torrenting on its network.

There are user-friendly apps available to download for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Amazon Fire TV. Even more impressive is the ability to secure up to 10 simultaneous devices with one subscription.