IPVanish VPN Review (January 2021 Updated) – An Honest Analysis!
IPVanish is a US-based VPN provider offering its services in 60+ countries through 1300+ servers across the globe. If you’re considering getting IPVanish, follow this detailed IPVanish review to make your buying decision easier.
IPVanish VPN Overview
Server Network | 1300+ servers in 60+ countries |
Jurisdiction | US (Unsafe) |
Logging Policy | No Logs |
Customer Support | Email, FAQs and Call support |
Netflix Unblocking | Yes |
Torrenting Support | Yes |
Tunneling Protocols and Encryption | OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2 and 256-bit encryption |
Cost | $3.25/mo ($39.00/ year) |
Refund | 7 Days |
Official Website | https://www.ipvanish.com/ |
Servers Network
IPVanish offers 1300+ servers in 60+ countries throughout the world. The current server network is decent enough. But, the service should focus on improving the number of servers as the other VPNs like CyberGhost that are offering servers to their customers in huge numbers.
The greater the number of server locations, the greater are the chances of unblocking channels from different regions anywhere. Luckily, it was the case with IPVansih, as we were able to watch Where the Money is by unblocking US Netflix:
We also watched Babylon Berlin while connecting to its US Ashburn server:
But, sadly it couldn’t unblock BBC iPlayer using its UK Manchester server:
Does IPVanish keep any Logs?
IPVanish follows a no-logging policy and does not store any user connection or activity log. This one attribute can be a make or break situation for many privacy conscious people and we must say IPVanish has done a decent job in this area.
Similar to other VPN services, it records your email addresses and payment methods to complete the subscription process.
This is definitely a big plus considering the fact that IPVanish mainly operates from a 5-eye country, United States. However, IPVanish does not condone downloading of copyrighted content through its VPN service.
It has categorically mentioned on its website that the copyright holders can lodge a complaint against any copyright violation in writing.
How much does IPVanish cost?
IPVanish provides three types of pricing plans and these are:
- Monthly ($5.00)
- 3 Months (4.50/month)
- 1 Year (3.25/month)
All these packages include an excellent 10 multi-login feature that helps you secure your different devices simultaneously.
Decent Payment Options
IPVanish does not offer a huge list of payment options. In fact, the service has not included any anonymous payment method like Bitcoin in its armory. You can pay your dues through PayPal, Credit Card, American Express, JCB and Delta.
Moreover, the provider only offers a 7-day money-back guarantee to its new users. Besides, you will have to follow the App Store guidelines to get your refund if you have subscribed through iTunes.
We hope IPVanish adds up a free trial feature for its new users in order to experience the service before making a purchase.
IPVanish Security Protocols & Features
In terms of security, IPVanish offers a wide range of features. You can select an OpenVPN protocol alongside 256-bit encryption to gain complete online anonymity.
Furthermore, you can enable an automatic kill switch feature to keep yourself hidden over the web even if the VPN does not work.
Does IPVanish support torrenting or P2P activities?
IPvanish supports its users torrenting or P2P activities but, the service does not provide dedicated servers for torrenting.
You will have to download your preferred torrents using the SOCKS5 proxy server that assists P2P BitTorrent client.
IP, DNS, WebRTC and Virus Tested
IPVanish is safe to use as it does not leak your actual IP address, DNS and webRTC information online.
IP leak test result:
DNS leak test result:
WebRTC leak test result:
Virus test result:
The Windows setup file is free from viruses and does not contain any malware.
IPVanish Server Speed Test
IPVanish provides below average connection speeds. We tested its speed on the US and UK servers while using 30Mbps internet connection.
Once we connected to its US server, the speed dropped considerably by 80% almost as we obtained only 7.20 Mbps download speed.
We experienced the same situation when we connected to its UK server. The download speed was as low as 6.80 Mbps, which means the speed again reduced by 80%.
Impressive Compatibility with different Operating Systems
IPVanish supports all the leading operating systems like Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS. You can also secure your routers and Smart TVs by installing its dedicated apps.
User Experience on Windows App
We were impressed to know that IPVanish offers an attractive user-interface. Through its quick connect feature, you can connect to the best available server in a blink of an eye.
Apart from this you can sort out any server based on your own preferences like country, favorites. ping, and load. You can also select the Help option to enable some useful shortcuts while using the Windows app.
User Experience on Android and iOS
When you use its Android app, you can use the same quick connect feature to select the best available server.
You can access the quick side toggle to navigate through the app
Once you get to the servers’ section, you can connect to your desired server located in different countries.
The Settings section is further divided into General & Connection settings, you can set up startup settings and notifications settings in the General section easily.
As far as its iOS app goes, you can explore the same features similar to the Android app. However, both Android and iOS apps lacked the dedicated streaming and torrenting servers option.
Customer Support
IPVanish stands out from its competitors by offering an attractive phone call feature. It compensates for the live chat feature that the service doesn’t offer that can be a plus for users who are not comfortable to talk on the phone.
Do we recommend IPVanish?
Yes, we do recommend IPVanish considering its nifty privacy features like OpenVPN protocol, no logs, Netflix unblocking capabilities, IP leak protection, internet kill switch, and many more.
Like most of the service, IPVanish also fell short in some areas including the number of servers, speed drops, and live chat feature. But on the brighter side, there were no connectivity issue and the overall experience with the service was good.