IPVanish VPN Review: Is IPVanish VPN Good? [2024]

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What is IPVanish?

IPVanish is an established VPN provider with a vast network of over 1,300 nodes, all set up to support P2P. The servers are carefully laid out in more than 75 countries. 

Using such an extensive server network, this VPN service offers more than 40,000 dedicated and secured IP addresses, which is amazing.

Now, there are some qualities that its server network features, and you must know about them. Firstly, the app updates you about the best city and server available so that you always get the help of top-performing servers. You can even mark your favorite servers and connect to them automatically each time you use IPVanish. There is a ping time filtering feature on its servers. With this feature, one has the freedom to choose servers manually as per speed. There is a list of servers used on the website.

The company solely takes care of its business, meaning that it doesn’t use third-party services to maintain its software and hardware. More importantly, the company owns all the servers in its network. With access to sufficient resources and complete control of server setup and management, IPVanish offers full protection to its users.

IPVanish has dedicated clients for all major platforms: Windows, Mac, and Android, and is also on the list of the top VPNs for iPhone.

It even has a standalone client for Amazon Fire TV.

Even though there is no ready-to-install browser extension or app for ChromeOS, Linux, Windows Phone, and DD-WRT routers, you can use this VPN service on all these devices and enjoy secured internet traffic via manual configuration.

For hardcore virtual private network service users, IPVanish brings joy with its unlimited simultaneous connection and zero bandwidth cap. However, you’ll most likely get a call from the VPN company when you connect more than 20 devices at a time. But they won’t stop you from connecting more devices.

With several features and multi-language support, IPVanish stands as one of the best VPN providers in the market.

Here are Some Latest Updates About IPVanish

Every product/service strives to be the best, and IPVanish is no exception. This is why certain updates are done in it. Recently, the WireGuard protocol was added. It was the beginning of 2021 when IPVanish upgraded the majority of its servers to 25Gbps network cards. This upgrade made the network a bit more future-proofed.

To improve its privacy policy, IPVanish also removed its servers from Hong Kong as the VPN company figured out that Hong Kong has strict internet restrictions, just like China (VPN for China).

Seeing the cloud storage issues that today’s users face, IPVanish also started offering a cloud backup facility, SugarSync cloud backup.

Lastly, IPVanish now offers an anti-virus with a subscription. With all these updates, I feel IPVanish now has more control over the VPN industry and brings good value to its customers’ investments.

Quick Facts and Figures

• Initial Release – 2012
• Jurisdiction – USA
• Language supported – English
• Encryption – AES-256 Bit with SHA-256 (authentication) and an RSA-2048 handshake
• Protocol – OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP and PPTP
• Servers and location covered – 1500+ in 75 locations
• Awards and Recognition – Awarded as Startup of the Year by Info Security, PG’s Global Excellence Awards, Number 1 VPN by Lifehacker AU, and Excellent VPN by PC Magazine in 2017.
• Simultaneous VPN Connection – Yes

Is IPVanish Fast?

IPVanish is a remarkably fast VPN in terms of upload and download speeds.

I tested the IPVanish speeds on different servers and noticed a remarkable rise in ping, download, and upload speeds.

⇒ On the US Server, the ping, download, and upload speeds were 133ms, 34.71 Mbps, and 24.72 Mbps, respectively.

⇒Its performance at the download and upload front was far better than this when I tested IPVanish on the EU server. It was 82.67 Mbps and 43.19 Mbps, respectively. But the ping speed was very slow. 

⇒I tested IPVanish speed on the Hong Kong server. Sadly, download and upload speeds were very poor, only 7.61 Mbps and 5.88 Mbps. However, the ping speed was 341 ms, which was impressive. 

⇒To offer you more extensive detail about the IPVanish speed, I also tested it on the UK server. On this server, its performance was impressive as I noticed 56ms ping speed, 80.25 Mbps download speed, and 42.09 Mbps upload speed.

Features

IPVanish VPN comes with quite an extensive list of valuable features:

• More than 1,300 VPN servers in 75 locations
• The offer of over 40,000 shared IP addresses
• Unlimited bandwidth and server switching
• 256-bit AES encryption
• OpenVPN and L2TP/IPsec VPN protocols
• Dedicated apps for all major platforms, including Amazon Firestick TV
• Support for 10 simultaneous connections on different devices
• The ability to bypass censored websites and apps
• 24/7 Customer Support
• SOCKS5 Proxy Server for anonymous browsing and torrenting 

Is IPVanish Safe?

The 256-bit AES encryption protocol is so safe and secure that most of the world’s government organizations and internet security agencies rely on it. IPVanish VPN uses the same protocol. This encryption protocol renders all your data unusable even if the cybercriminals manage to get a hold of it.

I also checked the handshake used behind this encryption, using WireShark, and figured out that IPVanish uses the SHA512 algorithm for authentication. For better perfect forward secrecy, the DHE-RSA 2048 key exchange is used. Both these handshakes are utterly secure and make data so protected that skilled hackers can’t decrypt it (learn about the biggest data leaks here).

IPVanish allows users to use either  OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec VPN protocol.  Both are safe to use, but I got better results with L2TP/IPSec in terms of speed. The secure encryption and VPN protocols make it virtually impossible for hackers to get to your data and discover your real IP address. 

Learn about hiding IP with the following articles:

• How To Change My IP and Why it’s a Must – The Secrets Are Out
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That’s not the only thing that a VPN service must own to secure internet traffic. Robust security demands more than this. Thus, I carried out extensive research on its security features.

Here are my findings:

Kill switch

If the VPN connection drops suddenly, IPVanish has a kill switch that ensures no real IP or location details are leaked. I tested its efficacy on public internet connection or Wi-Fi and was impressed as it mainly worked. But don’t expect its kill switch to be advanced enough to offer port forwarding. This facility isn’t offered.

Those who are using desktop apps will have no hassles in activating or deactivating the kill switch feature, as the option is at the front. The window app features a kill switch box on the main window itself. macOS users can activate the feature under the Open VPN setting.

DNS/IP/WebRTC leak protection

The VPN service provider claims to offer amazing DNS queries and IP leak protection. But, all the claims must be tested. Hence, I used websites like IPX.ac and IPLeak.net to find out how accurate these claims are. Luckily, I experienced zero leaks. For the WebRTC leak, I took the help of Browserleaks.com, and it also passed this test. So, it does not expose any data or user information to a third party.

Split tunneling

You can enjoy split tunneling if you’re using the Android app of IPVanish. The feature isn’t available in the rest of the other apps/solutions. Split tunneling lets you run apps via ISP. Its performance is also not up to the mark.

Scramble feature for OpenVPN

In case you don’t want the world to know that you use a VPN, activate its scramble feature that will hide the VPN presence by all means.

It obfuscates the internet traffic and makes you completely invisible. This is a great feature to have when one tries to bypass online censorship and a strict firewall. I tested this feature on the IPVanish iOS app, and it was functional.

While all these security features, including a kill switch and split tunneling, are here to protect, you’ll surely miss the ad blocker, as there is none. So, get ready to see annoying ads often while using a VPN. I guess it has to work upon it to become a leader in the VPN industry.

One more feature that I missed badly in the IPVanish VPN service is the multi-hop feature. With the multi-hop feature, one enjoys the power of Double VPN and double encryption that makes security more robust.

How Does IPVanish Work?

IPVanish VPN works just like any standard VPN. It establishes a well-encrypted connection between your device and the server. All the IPv4 traffic will be transmitted via this connection and will help you have a secure browsing experience. 

How to Install IPVanish on Firestick?

Setting up IPVanish on Fire Stick is an easy job. Below mentioned steps are needed to follow: 

Step 1: Return to the home screen of your Fire Stick and press the left arrow displayed on the directional pad. Look for the IPVanish app. 

Step 2: Download the app from the app store and complete the setup. 

Step 3: Open the app and use your IPVanish username and login password to get started. 

Step 4: After successful login, pick the country, city, and server to get connected.

Step 5: Once connected completely, go back to your home screen, and it’s all done. It’s that easy. 

Privacy & Logging policy

The privacy and logging policy isn’t hard to find. On the main website, go to the bottom of the page, and there it is in the Legal section. Along with the Privacy Policy, there is a separate Privacy Policy guide as well.

As I delved deeper into the privacy policy details, I learned that it claims to have a zero-logs policy implemented strictly. The company doesn’t keep any logs on the users. The privacy policy was updated on June 20, 2021, as per the website.

In the past, IPVanish has faced many troubles just because of the shady or unclear privacy policy. As per an article by TorrentFreak, IPVanish was held guilty of a data breach as the VPN company handed over users’ personal information to the Department of Homeland Security. The incident happened in 2016.

User data such as real IP address, VPN subscription details, email address, consumer name, and timestamps of internet connection were exposed. The action contradicted the no-log policy’s claims, creating quite a ruckus.

In defense of IPVanish, Lance Crosby, the then CEO and Founder of StackPath, IPVanish’s parent company, claimed that during the acquisition process, few things were missed. But, there is no clear evidence of a data leak.

He responded to the query and explained that the court order was one-time directed and the company adheres to the no-log policy by all means.

He also released a Restore Privacy statement that mentioned:

“That court case was from 2016 – long before StackPath acquired IPVanish in 2017. IPVanish does not, has not, and will not log or store logs of our users as a StackPath company. We can’t speak to what happened on someone else’s watch, and that management team is long gone. In addition to not logging, StackPath will defend the privacy of our users, regardless of who demands otherwise.”

Well, many of us didn’t buy the point. IPVanish is based out of the USA and has no strict data retention laws. But, when such incidents happen, it’s obvious to get suspicious.

Cut to the present, the privacy policy looks quite crisp now. The information collected is related to the email address and billing information. Users are allowed to ask for the information collected. IPVanish iOS app and Android app keep the internet connection log.

In addition, it’s clearly mentioned in the privacy policy that IPVanish uses Google’s Firebase tool to collect crash information on the apps so that the source and cause of app crashes are spotted. The policy doesn’t explain further how long this information is retained.

As per the details mentioned in the privacy policy, no information is stored intentionally. No track of connection, traffic, and location would be saved. But, there are loopholes in the privacy policy.

If you use IPVanish VPN, it won’t save any record of your connection, traffic, location, and activity data. 

After analyzing the privacy policy extensively, I figured out that its privacy policy isn’t about zero logs. A certain part of personal data and internet connection usage is stored for sure. Even though strict security measures are adopted, minor risks of data breaches are there when such data is stored.

Compatibility

I didn’t run into any compatibility issues when testing IPVanish VPN. It offers dedicated, easy-to-configure apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

It has dedicated apps for all the above-said platforms. Windows 8.1 and 10 are supported, while macOS versions above 10.11 are compatible with the app.

When it comes to Android apps, any version above 5.0 is supported. The IPVanish iOS app works only if the iOS is above 11.0. While I was checking the iOS and Android apps of IPVanish, I found the Android app more functional and the iOS app more visually attractive. However, both the apps were great regarding user interface and setup.

If you’re not interested in the official apps for these platforms, you can also go with the manual configuration option. Detailed guides for the same are offered on the website.

One can use this service on a Linux system running on Debian or RedHat distros. Very few VPN services are compatible with routers, and IPVanish is among them.

I even managed to hook it up with Amazon TV Firestick, and it worked without glitches. Although it requires a bit of technical knowledge to set up IPVanish with your router to make your entire home network more secure, setting it up on Mac won’t take much time. Router firmware like DD-WRT v2 and v3, Tomato, Asus-WRT, and Merlin is supported by its router solution.

One can use only the WireGuard protocol on Amazon Fire TV Stick. However, there is no solution for Apple TV.

IPVanish also offers compatibility with the TOR browser for all those users who like to add extra security layers to their internet connection. Finally, it is compatible with Linux and Chrome OS as well.

Also, I felt that not offering browser extensions is a huge drawback for IPVanish. Almost every leading VPN service provider offers a browser extension. So, it should work in this direction.

How Much is IPVanish VPN?

Potential IPVanish users can choose any of the three basic plans. All the plans are subscription-based. IPVanish pricing and plans put it right in the middle of the competition in the VPN landscape.

Considering the number of features, including WireGuard, auto-connect, malware protection, around-the-clock access to customer support, P2P support, and geo-block bypass capabilities, IPVanish offers more than decent value for your hard-earned money. 

All plans include a  7-day money-back guarantee , which is quite short, considering that the industry average is 30 days. IPVanish supports several payment methods, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, American Express, Discover, Delta, and JCB. 

The above table clearly shows that the quarterly and yearly plans are the popular choice. Previously, the plan didn’t include the malware blocker facility. But now, it’s there. Also, you get accessibility to unmatched features, including threat prevention, virus scanning, network firewall defense for Windows, automatic app patching, and email threat prevention. This is the highest-selling subscription of IPVanish and is certainly a good option.

Speaking of its monthly plan, it’s way too high compared to the industry’s average cost. Regardless of the subscription picked, you’re allowed to enjoy facilities like unlimited simultaneous connection, fast speed, a 24*7 help and support system, unmetered devices, apps, a safe streaming facility, and proxy servers. There are no features or performance restrictions attached to any of the plans. You will be able to experience the full IPVanish VPN package, no matter which plans you choose. 

All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is decent. Earlier, the money-back guarantee was only 7 days long, which was way too low for the industry average. Maybe the company realized it and upgraded it to 30 days. Nonetheless, it was a must-needed move.

What I felt missing was the free trial. No information is provided regarding this aspect. Hence, it’s obvious to assume that it’s missing. This is something that IPVanish should work on. People love free trials. When it comes to a service that deals in online presence and personal data, they don’t want to take a chance, they want to try the efficacy of the service before laying their faith in it.

You can find these articles useful:

• Top 7 Free VPN Trials That Are Worth Your Time in 2024
• VPN Comparison: Compare the Best VPN Services of 2024
• Top 6 Cheap VPN Services You Must Try in 2024

Almost every leader in the VPN industry offers this facility, and IPVanish can’t expect huge customer loyalty without it. There are many options in the market offering free trials offering quality service without getting into the hassles that free VPNs offer. So, I think the service provider must think about it seriously.

Now, let’s talk about the means of payment accepted. IPVanish supports several payment methods, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, American Express, Discover, Delta, and JCB. Recently, it started accepting payments via cryptocurrencies as well. This way, it helps maintain great secrecy in the transactions. But refunds are not granted for payments made using cryptocurrencies (VPNs for Crypto trading).

Torrenting

While many VPN service providers enable their users to torrent, it is one of the rare ones that openly encourage it.

Yes, it supports torrenting without any fear or qualms. Their carefree attitude towards torrenting might irk a few people. It supports a limitless P2P connection and is self-equipped for safe and sound torrenting.   

There was a slight drop in speed when I was testing its torrenting ability. What is more interesting is that IPVanish offers free-of-cost  250 GB of secure cloud space . This facility can be availed via a SugarSync paid partnership. Here, you can save all the downloaded content.

IPVanish equips the users with secure encryption and allows them to torrent anonymously and freely, as much as they please, with no bandwidth limit whatsoever. 

IPVanish knows that torrenting isn’t allowed in many parts of the world. So, it has to ensure its torrenting service is secure enough to keep the user out of prying eyes’ sight. Well, you have the peace of mind of the whole world when you’re using IPVanish for torrenting, as it comes with a kill switch, Bitcoin & cryptocurrency payments, a SOCKS5 proxy server, and a no-log policy. So, your actions will remain hidden.

Does IPVanish Work with Netflix?

Ever since Netflix started using the VPN-detection system, as a precaution, VPN providers stopped openly advertising their services as 100% reliable by bypassing the Netflix VPN-detection system.

Users of IPVanish can enjoy Netflixing from the comfort of their homes.  IPVanish VPN servers are capable of circumventing geo-restrictions Netflix has in place. 

If you want to enjoy geo-unrestricted content on Netflix, then IPVanish will help you. Effortlessly, it unblocks Netflix US. Its performance in Las Vegas, Dallas, and Chicago servers was also impressive. 

IPVanish’s streaming ability is not limited to Netflix. It helped me to unblock  Vudu, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, and YouTube  as well. However, if you want to unblock Hotstar and BBCiPlayer, you will be disappointed. Earlier, BBCiPlayer also remained unblocked. But, after recent updates, it now unblocks BBCiPlayer.

If you stream on Kodi, then IPVanish won’t disappoint you as it is compatible with it and makes P2P file streaming easy.

I streamed Ricky and Morty on my Kodi while connecting with the Miami server during the streaming test. My speed was decent, and the video played without streaming.

While you won’t be able to unblock many streaming platforms with IPVanish, you still have an amazing streaming experience. I have reasons to support this statement.

It’s great to circumvent online censorship by masking the user’s real locations and IP addresses. As its servers grant you shared IP addresses, its hard to track down the online activities of a single user. This way, you can easily access blocked websites, censorship content, and restricted platforms.

The next point to be noted here is its unthrottled speed. There is no monitoring of the amount of traffic used or shared. So, you can stream as much as you want. The VPN connection granted is also unmetered. Hence, you can stream as many as the device you want at a time. Speed is decent. All in all, you can give it a try for streaming.

Those who love watching live games can use IPVanish as well. It can stream live matches, UFC, baseball, fights, races, and many other sports without any hassles.

In case you are into streaming, you’ll enjoy the following articles:

• First-class Free Sites for Streaming and a Safe Way to Access Them in 2024
• Disney Plus VPN: How to Stream Disney+ Securely for Any Location (2024)
• 20 Free Movie Websites for Every Genre

IPVanish For Gaming

In case you’re a hardcore gamer and don’t want troubles like restricted games, slow speed, poor ping, protection against DDoS attacks, and too much bandwidth consumption, then try using a VPN for gaming. Now, let’s talk about how good IPVanish is for gaming.

As I have already mentioned, its server network lets you choose or filter the available servers as per the ping speed. So, you won’t have any hassles in finding a gaming-optimized server. As far as my experience is concerned, I found its USA servers, including New York servers, the best for better ping speed. Its distant servers are likely to have speed issues.

I played Call of Duty, which is a heavy-duty game, for hours as bandwidth and traffic throttling wasn’t an issue at all. With various shared IP addresses, you can easily unblock blocked games. You can also connect to a Wi-Fi connection without any fear.

The DDoS attack is the most prominent technique that gamers adopt to ruin the game for others. This happens more frequently in tournament-based games. If you don’t want to face it, then IPVanish can help you out. Effortlessly, it masks your IP address and keeps you out of the reach of notorious gamers.

It has solutions to protect your online identity and can keep steaming or app store purchases a secret. I suggest using only the WireGuard protocol, far better than any other protocols, for gaming sessions, as speed doesn’t suck when it’s active.

Customer Support

We can’t avoid troubles even if a solution claims to be perfect. So, if your VPN isn’t working as it should be or is not responding, then don’t be disheartened, as IPVanish offers extensive customer support.

There is a dedicated Help Center for all your issues. As soon as a major issue shows, a system performance link is shared automatically.

IPVanish offers 24/7 customer support services to its users. But this only applies to customer support via Email. IPVanish call center is open Monday-Friday 9 am – 5 pm CT(UTC-6).

The live chat feature is decent. I posted a query about the IPVanish protocols and got an apt and instant reply.

On top of that, IPVanish features an excellent knowledge base self-service help center to help users resolve issues on their own.

The available support categories include Frequently Asked Questions, Billing Questions, Setup Guides, Troubleshooting, Announcements, and About IPVanish. 

It may not be as well-categorized as it is in the case of NordVPN and ExpressVPN. But it’s good. There is a search tool that you can use to find out content using specific keywords. All in all, its customer support is good and will help you in times of need.

Is IPVanish Worth It?

It’s always up to you to decide whether a service in question is worth your attention. Personally, I could find these determining pros and cons:

IPVanish VPN offers access to a vast network of servers spread all over the world. It features secure encryption protocols and allows users to choose from OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols. Several pricing models and payment methods make purchasing more convenient. 

The support for all significant platforms allows users to use IPVanish VPN across different devices seamlessly.

The cap is at 10 devices connected simultaneously. The opportunity to torrent and bypass the Netflix VPN-detection system is a bonus many users will welcome, I know I certainly did. 

While only having access to 1 customer support channel is a downside, well-written and abundant help documentation is a bonus. 

Pros and Cons of IPVanish as per Reddit Users

In a world of abundance, it’s not easy to make a choice. As a VPN is something that you can’t afford to get a faulty one, I decided to gather real-time inputs about IPVanish.

For this job, there is no place better than Reddit. Here, one will hear from the actual users and analyze the actual performance of a VPN. I researched the top 100 comments on Reddit and have concluded a few inputs. So, let’s dig in.

Neutral Comments

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