Snapshot
IPVanish is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve come across in testing and will keep your online privacy protected thanks to its tier 1 worldwide server network. It’s a great choice for unblocking geo-restricted content such as the US Netflix store and is a go to choice for torrenting thanks to its dedicated servers and incredible speeds. IPVanish is user friendly and will certainly do as its name suggests, keeping your IP well hidden.
Compatible with
Rating
Our score:
4.7
★★★★★ 4.7/5
Pricing
Price from:
$6.49
per month
Pros
- Fast reliable servers with up to 251 Mbps download speeds
- Access to 1,500+ servers in 75+ locations
- Military grade encryption with AES-256
- Kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection
- Zero logs policy
- Unlimited peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting traffic
- Protect an unlimited amount of devices with one account
- One of the fastest VPNs available
Cons
- Didn’t reliably unblock BBC iPlayer in testing
- Doesn’t work in China
- Short money back guarantee period compared to other providers
Introduction
IPVanish claims to be the ‘the world’s best VPN service’ which is a big statement for sure… so we were keen to find out how they stack up!
It’s worth starting this review by stating that IPVanish will suit the vast majority of our reader’s needs. When using their service, your IP address is encrypted by ultra secure AES-256 encryption to keep you totally hidden. That paired with a strict no logs policy means you can keep your online activity and communications private and safe from potential prying eyes. They also deliver some really great speeds thanks to a collection of tier 1 VPN servers spread around the world. When it comes to P2P file sharing, they allow unlimited traffic usage with total anonymity which is also complemented nicely with these terrific speeds.
If you are looking to unblock great content such as US Netflix, HBO, Hulu and many other popular streaming sites, you are pretty well looked after with these guys. They do a fairly decent job.
You can never have too many devices protected, and IPVanish allow users to protect an unlimited amount of devices with just the one account. Great if you’re heavily into your tech or have a big family you wish to also protect!
With great 24/7 technical support too, they are certainly no pushovers!
Pricing
IPVanish comes reasonably priced given its quality. Plans are currently available on monthly, quarterly or yearly (1) deals. Their 1 year plan represents the best value for money and is currently on special offer with 46% off when purchased through our website. It’s also reassuring to know that all plans come with an up to 30-day money back guarantee.
For payment, IPVanish currently accepts a wide range of options including most major debit and credit cards (including American Express), as well as PayPal.
3 month plan
$
8
99
per month -
Billed $26.99 every 3 months
Visit website
30-day money back guarantee
SAVE 46%
Features
IPVanish offers some of the very best features for both user experience and privacy whilst adopting a strict no logs policy. Your IP address literally vanishes with their military grade AES-256 encryption and your online activity isn’t logged meaning you are totally anonymous when using their service. A good blend of VPN protocols are also on offer and this combined with DNS & IPV6 leak blocking, a VPN kill switch and advanced feature SOCKS5 web proxy, we can’t think of much else you are going to need to stay safe online.
With a network of over 1,500 VPN servers located in 75+ locations offering out a huge 40,000+ IP addresses, they ensure their users get tremendous speeds with little congestion when using their service.
Streaming HD content from the likes of US Netflix is very simple and P2P torrenting users enjoy unlimited data usage with fantastic upload/download speeds. Users can also safely access government censored websites and applications too.
Platforms and devices
IPVanish enables users to simultaneously connect up to an unlimited amount of devices with just the one account which is ideal for those who want to protect all their smart devices as well as their family’s too!
Their user-friendly apps can be installed on macOS, Windows and Linux operating systems as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. If using a Fire TV (Amazon Firestick) or Kodi is your thing… they’ve got you covered too with dedicated apps. They also offer browser extensions for Chrome on Android. It’s also easy enough to configure your home router and protect your entire wi-fi network with their service.
Streaming
With its great speeds and its ability to unblock geo-restricted content, IPVanish is a sensible choice for using looking at utilising some of the most popular streaming services such as US Netflix, Hulu, HBO and many more. You can watch via your Smart TV or on your favourite device and enjoy content in HD without any restrictions or buffering thanks to IPVanish.
Sadly, IPVanish can’t be reliably used to access BBC iPlayer at present. However, this is something we have flagged here at CompareMyVPN and they assure us they are working on a fix so we will hopefully provide a further update as soon as we get it!
Torrenting
You will be hard pushed to find a better VPN provider for torrenting right now. With dedicated servers that are seriously quick for both upload and download, it’s a really great option. You can safely share files anonymously and they also promise never to limit your P2P traffic. Additional reassurance is provided by a VPN kill switch in the unlikely event your VPN connection drops, so we believe IPVanish are an excellent choice for those looking at torrenting.
Speed
IPVanish pitch themselves as one of the fastest VPNs on the market, and from our testing we are happy to agree that they offer some seriously good speeds! Local download speeds of 251Mbps were achieved with a global average of 54Mbps. These results put them high up in our standings.
Their low latency levels with higher than average upload speeds are ideal for both gamers and those looking at P2P torrenting.
All in all IPVanish is a great choice if you have a need for speed!
Security
One thing IPVanish doesn’t sacrifice is security, keeping user’s privacy at the forefront of its operations. They use military grade 256-bit AES encryption to hide your IP address alongside our preferred OpenVPN protocol. You can also configure your various devices to use IKEv2, L2TP and PPTP giving advanced users plenty of options to play with.
Additional features include the must have VPN kill switch which ensures your unencrypted data isn’t leaked should your VPN connection drop as well as DNS and IPV6 leak protection which further enhances the robustness of IPVanish making it in our eyes one of the most secure VPNs available right now.
Applications
Whilst it may not be the prettiest flower in the forest, the IPVanish app is pretty user-friendly across all platforms and devices. Both beginners and advanced users will find IPVanish easy to use and an enjoyable experience. Advanced users who want to do a bit more fine tuning and playing with different protocols are also well served.
The app itself connects quickly as provides a whole host of counties / cities to choose from as well as the ability to search for a location (nice added feature!).
The IPVanish app can be downloaded on a whole host of popular devices such as iOS, Windows and Android, and works perfectly with their dedicated app on the Amazon Firestick or Android TV.
Customer service
We believe IPVanish have really upped their game recently in terms of customer support and found them to be quick, knowledgeable and friendly. You can speak to them directly via their 24/7 live chat, or if you fancy a slower pace… email works just as well.
Alternatively, they also have plenty of articles and guides on their website should you need any additional information.
Log policy
IPVanish have one of the strictest zero log policies we have seen. They don’t collect any user data whatsoever so once you have installed their VPN, they have no way of knowing if you have used or connected to their service. We are totally confident that IPVanish would have no data to hand over to any third-party law enforcement that could be traced back to an individual should it be requested, simply because they have none collected.
Jurisdiction
IPVanish are incorporated in the USA which isn’t ideal and sends our warning sirens buzzing due to America’s strict privacy laws. However, despite initial concerns, we are confident that their zero-log policy is strong enough to counter any issues that being located in the USA may bring.
The verdict
We think IPVanish is a great choice for both the privacy conscious and those looking for outstanding speeds. Whether streaming, torrenting, gaming and or simply browsing online, users won’t be disappointed with the service IPVanish offer. A few minor niggles such as not being able to unblock BBC iPlayer is a shame, but this won’t be an issue for a huge number of users anyway.
From a security perspective, IPVanish is one of the best on the market with an array of advanced features and a strict zero logs policy. Accompanying these features, you also get a really well-designed app and great customer support which we know is important to our readers.
Whilst $6.49 a month isn’t the cheapest VPN going, the fact they allow you to protect an unlimited amount of devices for that fee isn’t a bad compromise in our opinion! And if for any reason you don’t get on with their product, you can easily cancel your plan within 30-days for a full refund.
Melvyn and the team at comparemyvpn.com fully recommend IPVanish and we rate it very highly for both speed and privacy.