Disclosure: Top10VPN is editorially independent. We may earn commissions if you buy a VPN through links on our site.
IPVanish Delivers Fast Short-Distance Speeds
Speed & Reliability
IPVanish's service was reliable and stable in our local and international speed tests, although it falls short of the fastest VPNs. Connecting to a VPN server was remarkably quick, and sometimes instant. On the whole, the VPN's fast speeds let you browse the internet, download files, and stream video without interruption.
IPVanish is fast on local connections. We recorded an average download speed of 84Mbps on nearby servers. This works out as only 10% speed loss, which is very good for a VPN.
Despite these fast short-distance speeds, there are even faster VPNs available.
Local Speed Test results before using IPVanish VPN:
- Download Speed: 93.76Mbps
- Upload Speed: 97.58Mbps
- Ping: 2ms
Local Speed Test results with IPVanish VPN:
- Download Speed: 84.13Mbps
- Upload Speed: 90.33Mbps
- Ping: 7ms
Download speed loss when IPVanish VPN is running: 10%
International speed tests
We also tested IPVanish’s speed on long-distance connections, too. We measured our internet speeds before and after connecting to its servers around the world.
While its local speeds are very fast, IPVanish’s global speeds aren’t as good.
Here are the average speeds connecting from London to IPVanish servers around the world:
- USA:
- Download: 53Mbps (44% slower)
- Upload: 37Mbps (62% slower)
- Germany:
- Download: 76Mbps (19% slower)
- Upload: 81Mbps (17% slower)
- Singapore:
- Download: 25Mbps (73% slower)
- Upload: 2Mbps (98% slower)
- Australia:
- Download: 24Mbps (75% slower)
- Upload: 6Mbps (94% slower)
We measured an average speed loss of 44% connecting to the US. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t measure up to faster VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
Connection speeds to Australia and Singapore were worse, with a download speed loss of 75%. These results just aren’t as strong as those of ExpressVPN.
How Fast is IPVanish Compared to Other VPNs?
On top of our manual tests, you can also review our automated VPN speed test results below.
Our automated speed test tool runs automatically each day of the year. It caps test connection speeds at 100Mbps to recreate a typical home internet connection.
The graph below shows IPVanish’s average speed loss on our New York test server, compared to rival VPN services. The data covers the last eight weeks, to illustrate speed as well as stability.
Use our speed test tool to see IPVanish’s speed across the world
We keep seeing consistently high speeds from IPVanish. Until recently, it was even faster than ExpressVPN on a New York to New York connection. Upload speeds are also good and reliable, although not as good as other main VPN services.
Moreover, ping has been amazingly low and stable. It’s been hovering around 2ms on a local New York connection.
Once again, long-distance speeds are what let IPVanish down. Download speeds have stayed around 15Mbps lower than the competition, similarly to upload speeds.
2,000 Self-Owned Servers & 40,000+ IP Addresses
Server Locations
IPVanish boasts 2,000 servers and over 40,000 IP addresses, including 75 city locations. It's servers are all owned and managed in-house too, the gold-standard for server security. We've tested IPVanish's servers and found none of them to be virtual.
IPVanish has a large network of 2,000 servers in 75 locations across 51 countries.
The server locations list in the IPVanish Windows app.
All 2,000 VPN servers are self-owned and managed. In other words, the company doesn’t rent any servers.
Users also have access to over 40,000 shared IP addresses. Only VyprVPN offers more, with 300,000. A large number of IP addresses helps prevent traffic congestion on very popular server locations.
The vast network includes servers in most European countries and over 500 servers in North America. The choice is more limited outside these regions, particularly in Africa.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of servers in each region:
- North America: 1,281
- Europe: 536
- Asia: 83
- Oceania: 73
- South America: 31
- Africa: 6
City-level server locations are available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. Here is the full list of city-level locations:
- UK: Manchester, London, Glasgow
- Canada: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal
- Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
- Brazil: São Paulo, Rio De Janeiro
- US Central: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston
- US East Coast: Ashburn, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York
- US West Coast: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Seattle
IPVanish owns all its VPN servers
We’ve seen some VPN services overextend their server networks, causing security vulnerabilities. The 2018 NordVPN security incident is a good example of this.
Many VPN companies rent large portions of their server network to cover as many countries as possible. Some VPN services specify how they keep control of these rented servers. Others are much less transparent.
VPN companies also use virtual server locations. These servers assign IP addresses for a country, even if they’re physically located elsewhere.
Both scenarios above can cause security issues. Your VPN service must take server management and security very seriously.
An IPVanish rep confirmed the company owns all its servers and doesn’t use virtual servers.
IPVanish owns and manages its own servers rather than renting hardware from other companies. This gives it much more control over how its servers are installed, managed, and operated.
It’s rare for a VPN company to own its entire server network. Only VyprVPN and AzireVPN also do this. This is a huge security advantage and a unique selling point of IPVanish.
IPVanish doesn’t use virtual servers
We ran geolocation tests on several IPVanish servers to verify they’re physically located where they’re supposed to be.
We carried out these checks using the App Synthetic Monitor Ping tool. The tool pings a URL from 50 different monitoring stations worldwide.
The closer the monitoring station is to the physical VPN server, the lower the ping rate will be. For example, connecting to a VPN server in Frankfurt, Germany, the ping between server and monitoring station is far lower than the ping from other stations:
We applied this geolocation test to 20 popular IPVanish servers
We tested 20 different IPVanish server locations around the world. We analyzed differences between our ping times and our supposed server location. We tested the following locations:
- Albania (Tirana, tia-c02.ipvanish.com)
- Australia (Sydney, syd-a50.ipvanish.com)
- Brazil (São Paulo, gru-a14.ipvanish.com)
- Canada (Toronto, tor-a11.ipvanish.com)
- China (Hong Kong, hkg-a08.ipvanish.com)
- France (Paris, par-a19.ipvanish.com)
- Germany (Frankfurt, fra-a33.ipvanish.com)
- Israel (Tel Aviv, tlv-c04.ipvanish.com)
- Japan (Tokyo, nrt-a06.ipvanish.com)
- Mexico (Guadalajara, gdl-a09.ipvanish.com)
- New Zealand (Auckland, akl-c13.ipvanish.com)
- Nigeria (Lagos, los-c02.ipvanish.com)
- South Africa (Johannesburg, jnb-c06.ipvanish.com)
- South Korea (Seoul, sel-a04.ipvanish.com)
- Spain (Madrid, mad-a04.ipvanish.com)
- Ukraine (Kiev, iev-c06.ipvanish.com)
- United Arab Emirates (Dubai, dxb-c02.ipvanish.com)
- United Kingdom (London, lon-a16.ipvanish.com)
- US East (New York City, nyc-a13.ipvanish.com)
- US West (Los Angeles, la-a02.ipvanish.com)
Each one of these servers passed our geo-location tests. They are all physically located where IPVanish says they are.
This doesn’t absolutely guarantee that the same is true of every single IPVanish server. But, it does serve as good evidence that IPVanish doesn’t use virtual servers.
Is IPVanish Completely No-Logs?
Logging Policy & Jurisdiction
IPVanish is a zero-logs VPN provider, so it won't keep records of your connection data or browsing activity. The only thing it does keep is email address and payment method, which are necesary for maintaining the service. It's jurisdiction is the US, though, which isn't ideal.
IPVanish’s privacy policy is clearly-written and transparent. It explicitly states that it doesn’t keep traffic or metadata logs:
“IPVanish does not collect, monitor, or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network service on any platform.”
The only information the VPN service collects is an email address and payment method.
The VPN does not:
- Log user traffic or usage of the VPN service
- Sell or rent user information to third parties
Many VPN services track at least anonymous server loads, or login instances for maintenance purposes. IPVanish, however, stands out for prioritizing user anonymity and privacy.
Unlike many VPNs, IPVanish doesn’t enforce any simultaneous connections limit. Therefore, it doesn’t need to log device connections to its network.
The VPN provider is currently transitioning to a new privacy policy. We thoroughly read this policy and found that despite being clearer, its substance remains largely the same.
The one noticeable change is it now states that the VPN collects “aggregated and anonymous performance data”. This data is totally anonymous and not linked to individual users.
One thing IPVanish needs to do is request an independent audit of its logging practices. If you want a VPN that’s been externally audited, read our NordVPN review, or our VyprVPN review.
IPVanish’s FBI Co-operation in 2016
No IPVanish review is complete without discussing the data-sharing incident of 2016.
This is when the company’s previous owners (Highwinds Network Group) handed user logs over to the FBI.
The FBI identified the individual from a record of the VPN IP address and the time it was used. IPVanish had this information because it was logging web data its privacy policy explicitly stated it would not.
Screenshot of the IPVanish logging policy in April 2016
At the time of the case, IPVanish’s logging policy was very similar to its current one. In other words, the company couldn’t have accessed the data without breaching its own logging policy.
The screenshot below shows the information IPVanish shared with the FBI, based on a user “with IRC traffic using IP 209.197.26.72, port 6667”:
Excerpt from the affidavit
The severity of the crime justifies IPVanish’s decision to hand over logs to the FBI. But, it absolutely doesn’t justify the existence of these logs in the first place.
Luckily, this issue has been resolved. StackPath acquired IPVanish in 2017, who had no knowledge of the incident. It soon guaranteed that IPVanish wouldn’t store web logs in the future.
We believe the IPVanish leadership when they state the service does not collect user logs. A third-party audit of the VPN’s no-log servers would help bury the issue once and for all.
IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis
IPVanish was founded in 2012 by Mudhook Media, which was part of the Highwinds Network Group.
In 2017 Stackpath purchased IPVanish, and two years later sold it to J2 Global (now Ziff Davis, Inc). Ziff Davis also owns StrongVPN, SaferVPN, and Encrypt.me.
Despite the ownership changes, IPVanish hasn’t lost trust with its users. The acquisitions have in fact been a positive step for privacy. The arrival of a new owner with a strong reputation has put the past controversies behind.
All the companies mentioned above are headquartered in the US, a member of the Five-Eyes data sharing agreement.
While the company tells us it will respond to government and law enforcement requests, IPVanish doesn’t have any activity logs to hand over.
Therefore, so long as it continues to operate a no-logs policy, we’re not overly concerned by the company’s US jurisdiction.
IPVanish Doesn't Work for Streaming
Streaming
Lately, we've been able to unblock US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu with IPVanish. However, it can't access these streaming services on its TV apps. IPVanish also doesn't work with DAZN, Prime Video or HBO Max. We don't recommend it if streaming is your top priority.
IPVanish works with US Netflix
IPVanish unblocks American Netflix on all of its US servers. It also worked with the UK and India libraries in our tests.
However, it can be slow to load the website and app.
IPVanish reliably streams US Netflix.
There are better Netflix VPNs available, like ExpressVPN and Windscribe, which can unblock several Netflix regions.
Streams BBC iPlayer & Hulu
Streaming BBC iPlayer with IPVanish is easy. We were able to access the streaming site on all the UK servers we tested.
IPVanish works well for UK streaming services, like BBC iPlayer.
We had similar success with Hulu. Out of the 10 servers we tested, only one IP address was blocked.
IPVanish doesn’t unblock all content platforms
We also tested IPVanish with Disney+ and didn’t have any success. The same was true of DAZN, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max.
Overall, there are far better VPNs available for streaming. Compared to these, IPVanish works less often, streams in lower quality, and is compatible with fewer streaming devices.
IPVanish Is Ideal for Anonymous Torrenting
Torrenting
Both the IPVanish VPN app and its SOCKS5 proxy are great for torrenting. P2P traffic is allowed on all servers and the provider is one of the fastest VPNs we've tested for torrenting. It doesn't allow port-forwarding, though.
IPVanish VPN is perfect to torrent privately and safely. The VPN service allows P2P traffic on all its zero-logs servers.
It’s extremely fast on nearby connections and is optimized for P2P taffic.
The service also operates over 40,000 anonymous IP addresses, which is ideal for high-bandwidth activities like file-sharing.
It also doesn’t leak any IP and DNS data. Moreover, the desktop kill switch shields from IP exposures during rare VPN connection drops. It’s not enabled by default, though.
Unfortunately, port-forwarding isn’t allowed on the service, which might cause issues if you want to effectively seed torrents.
A good torrent VPN must hide your true IP address, so that your ISP or copyright trolls can’t view your download activity.
IPVanish doesn’t talk much about torrenting on its website, but it caters to it very well. So well that we recommend it as a top VPN for torrenting.
The company does have an extensive DMCA policy. It also forbids torrenting copyrighted material in its Terms of Service. Don’t worry, though – this is true of many VPN services.
The IPVanish Terms of Service forbidding torrenting copyrighted material.
Remember, the VPN doesn’t log usage data. Therefore, it can’t know who’s used a specific IP address at any given time. This means it won’t know which user to hand a DMCA notice to.
IPVanish has a SOCKS5 Proxy
The VPN also offers a SOCKS5 Proxy. This is an old favorite for torrenters looking to mask their IP address.
The SOCKS5 proxy setup page in our IPVanish account.
You can configure the SOCKS5 proxy directly in your torrent client, without the need of additional software. It’s more secure to use a VPN rather than a proxy, though.
Security Tip Connect to your VPN before launching your torrent client, and disconnect from the VPN after closing the torrent client. This avoids IP address exposures if your torrent client is seeding in the background.
How Does IPVanish Compare to Other Torrenting VPNs?
In this table you can compare IPVanish to the four other best VPNs for torrenting.
The table includes data from our torrenting benchmark test, which compares the average torrenting bitrate of a VPN under controlled conditions:
IPVanish VPN Is Very Safe to Use
Security & Features
IPVanish is a safe VPN with strong and configurable security settings. The software protects your data transfers with AES-256 encryption and uses secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard. None of IPVanish's application have undergone a full third-party security audit, though.
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IPVanish is one of the most secure VPN services available. Its advanced suite of features is suitable for beginners and experienced VPN users alike.
What stands out with IPVanish is that its VPN apps offer a high and unique degree of configuration options.
We tested all IPVanish’s apps and they all hid our IP address and encrypted our internet traffic data with AES 256-bit encryption.
By default, the apps now use WireGuard, although you can switch to other secure VPN protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2, depending on the application.
IPVanish’s kill switch works well
The VPN’s kill switch successfully hid our IP address during rare VPN connection drops. It’s not turned on by default, though, so make sure you switch it on before connecting.
IPVanish’s kill switch worked effectively in our tests.
The kill switch is available on Windows, Mac and Android. It’s not available on the iOS and Fire TV applications.
IPVanish owns its DNS servers
As covered in the server section of this review, IPVanish owns and manages its entire server network.
Owning your entire server network reduces the risk of server security issues. However, unlike ExpressVPN’s servers, IPVanish’s are not diskless, meaning they do write information to disk.
While ram-based servers provider greater security reassurances, very few VPN services currently offer this solution.
IPVanish doesn’t leak IP or DNS data
We tested IPVanish’s apps for leaks and can confirm that it does not leak IP or DNS data. We didn’t experience a single DNS, IPv4 and IPv6 leaks.
The IPv6 and DNS leak protection settings in the IPVanish Windows client.
We ran our leak tests from our office in London, UK. We connected to several IPVanish servers including several US ones. As you can see below, our UK DNS and IP addresses were never detected.
IPVanish’s leak test results when connected to its Chicago server
IPVanish therefore effectively hides your IP address and true location.
IPVanish encrypted all our data packets
After testing for leaks, we inspected our internet traffic when connected to an IPVanish server to verify the VPN client truly encrypts data transfers.
We carried out this test using Wireshark, a free and open-source packet inspection tool.
The UDP stream from IPVanish shows no plain text.
We didn’t capture any data being sent across our network in plain text. We found no unencrypted TCP or UDP traffic, and no HTTP or DNS traffic traveling in plain text.
In other words, IPVanish works exactly as intended. When it runs, it fully encrypts the traffic leaving the device. We trust the VPN to hide web activity from ISPs or protect data transfers on public WiFi networks.
IPVanish doesn’t contain any Malware
We also scanned the desktop client using Malwarebytes to ensure it’s free from viruses and malware.
Unsurprisingly, we didn’t find any malware in IPVanish
The VPN app passed the tests without trouble. We found no viruses or malware.
No dangerous permissions in the Android VPN app
As a final step, we used the εxodus tool to scan the IPVanish Android application for intrusive or excessive device permissions.
The εxodus result showed few trackers, but also unnecessary permissions
The results show two trackers present: Google Crashlytics and Google Firebase Analytics. These are common troubleshooting tools that collect data on how you use the app.
This isn’t too concerning ‒ many VPN apps use Firebase and Crashlytics. But, it also isn’t the perfect model for privacy. Astrill’s Android app contains no trackers, and we want more VPN services to follow suit.
The IPVanish app also asks unnecessary permissions. The most worrying of which is “READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE.” There is no justification for a VPN reading external storage, and we find its inclusion concerning.
There are many reasons developers put permissions into their apps. Sometimes, permissions are just part of default libraries. In truth, only a few are necessary to run a VPN service. We hope IPVanish soon removes the more intrusive permissions.
IPVanish Doesn't Bypass Strict Web Censorship
Bypassing Censorship
IPVanish comes with some obfuscation technology, but it has never been able to beat China's censorship in our tests. It might work in less aggressively censored regions, though.
IPVanish does not work in China and other highly-censored countries. It’s not just its web domain that’s blocked – the VPN apps don’t work either.
We test IPVanish weekly on our Shanghai server and we have never seen it work.
Its obfuscation tool, called “Scramble VPN traffic,” simply can’t bypass strict web censors.
IPVanish even states that it is “forbidden to do business in”:
- Cuba
- Iran
- Myanmar
- North Korea
- Sudan
- Syria
And that its domain, ipvanish.com, is blocked in:
- China
- Kazakhstan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
If you need a VPN to beat online censorship, there are far more reliable VPNs at bypassing aggressive web censors. Learn more about this in our Astrill VPN review.
IPVanish Works on Most Devices but Lacks Smart DNS
Device Compatibility
IPVanish has native apps for most platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire OS, and Linux. All apps are easy to set up, even on your home router.
Apps
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Windows ![]()
Mac ![]()
iOS ![]()
Android ![]()
Linux ![]()
Router ![]()
Chrome OS
IPVanish runs native software for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Fire TV devices.
Additionally, the VPN service comes with an official APK file. This lets you side load the VPN onto any Android device.
You can also use the VPN on unlimited devices simultaneously. It’s rare to see a top-shelf VPN offer this. Most services limit concurrent connections to five devices per account.
Advanced users can also configure IPVanish on Windows phones, Chromebooks, and more ‘difficult’ devices.
IPVanish has no web browser plugins
Sadly, there are no VPN browser extensions available. VPN browser add-ons are increasingly popular, and we expect all major VPN services to have them.
To use a VPN browser extension, take a look at our recommendations for Chrome and Firefox.
Installing IPVanish on a Router
There are two choices for setting IPVanish up on your router. You can buy a pre-flashed router, or manually set up the VPN on a compatible router.
Installing a VPN on your router lets you protect your entire network with VPN encryption. This way you use the VPN on devices without native VPN applications like Apple TV and games consoles.
IPVanish is compatible with the following DD-WRT-enabled routers:
- Asus
- Belkin
- Buffalo
- D-Link
- Linksys (Cisco)
Setting up a VPN on a router isn’t for beginners, though. You also need the right hardware first. Consult the IPVanish website to check that your router is compatible.
It’s a shame IPVanish doesn’t have a Smart DNS tool. It’s much easier to use a VPN on Apple TV and games consoles using Smart DNS.
Games Consoles & Streaming Devices
IPVanish has an excellent Fire TV Stick app
IPVanish is one of the few VPNs to offer a native app for Amazon Fire TV.
IPVanish’s Fire TV app is easy to use, and it’s currently our favorite VPN for Firestick.
The app doesn’t store any internet logs, which is ideal for watching Kodi and IPTV content anonymously with a VPN.
IPVanish can also stream geo-restricted content on official Kodi add-ons like IceFilms and NBC sport.
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Smart TV
Not the Most User-Friendly Apps, but Many Advanced Settings
Ease of Use
While they can look intimidating, all IPVanish's VPN applications are simple to use and include a variety of easy to find features.
How to Connect to a Server with IPVanish
The server select menu for IPVanish on macOS
How to Change Settings in IPVanish
How to change settings in IPVanish on macOS
All IPVanish’s apps are suited to both VPN beginners and more experienced users.
It’s easy to change servers on all the applications, and the interfaces are reasonably intuitive. The advanced privacy settings are also easy to navigate.
Here’s an overview of the advanced settings of each main application:
IPVanish Windows Client
The IPVanish Windows application looks complex at first, but is in fact simple to use.
Once you’ve connected to a server, a status panel will display the protocol you’re using, time connected, server name, and bandwidth used.
The IPVanish Windows app lets you change server locations with just a few clicks
The PC client interface also features a real-time graph showing upload and download speeds over time.
You can pick a country, city, or server to connect to from the locations list. Or, just press “connect” to use the best server available.
In the side-menu, you can sort the server list by country, server load, or response time. The search box is also useful to filter by keyword. One click adds a server location to your ‘favorites list,’ for quicker future access.
Favoriting server locations in the IPVanish Windows client.
There’s even the option to pick a location from a map, too. Numbers represent how many servers are available in a given location.
The IPVanish server map view in the desktop app.
In the settings tab you have access to the kill switch, and the scramble protocol, which helps mask OpenVPN traffic.
Sadly, the kill switch isn’t enabled by default. Make sure you turn it on before you start using the VPN. You can also decide if you want IPVanish to launch on PC startup, or not.
The Windows default protocol is WireGuard, but you can also use OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), IKEv2, or L2TP. You can also switch between OpenVPN ports 443, 1194, and 3074 (Scramble).
Don’t use SSTP or PPTP, though. They’re insecure protocols and IPVanish should remove them.
The protocol selection drop-down in the IPVanish PC app.
Last but not least, the Windows app comes with full IP and DNS leak protection, which is enabled by default.
IPVanish macOS Client
The macOS client has most of the same features as the Windows one (minus LAN exemption).
The interface is less user-friendly, though. It opens as a windowed app, but you can only access the settings from the menu bar app, which isn’t intuitive.
Both desktop apps include a real-time graph of upload and download speed
Just like the Windows client, the Mac app also has a working kill switch, which you must activate yourself. IPv6 leak protection is also available as a setting.
Additionally to the PC software, the Mac application has the option to toggle between IPVanish and third-party DNS.
IPVanish Android App
The Android app is IPVanish’s most impressive application. The user interface is easy to use and there are more features than in any other app.
The home screen displays useful information like your current IP address location, and a target country. The ‘connect’ button gets you online in seconds.
You can access advanced settings, account details, and the full server list from the menu in the top left. Or, you can use the quick select fields on the home screen.
The Android app is easier to use than the desktop version.
You can select servers by country or city in the locations menu. But, there’s no server load data to help you find less congested servers.
Sadly, the ‘favorites’ list, to add your preferred servers, is also missing. You’ll have to scroll to specific servers, instead.
The best thing about the Android app is its versatility and long features list. There’s a kill switch, split tunneling, and LAN exemption to connect to local devices without issues.
Activating the kill switch on Android is more complicated than on Windows and Mac. Under “Connection”, tap “Android OS kill switch” and a popup details how to enable it.
On Android, can choose between IKEv2, OpenVPN, L2TP, IPSec, and the WireGuard protocols.
The app also contains features designed specifically for mobile connections. For instance, you can choose to reduce the MTU (maximum transmission unit) to use less mobile data.
Furthermore, there is a setting notifying you when you connect to an insecure WiFi network, and an option to “scramble” your data transfers. This helps bypass web content blocks, but it won’t beat aggressive internet filters.
Thanks to the .apk file of the Android app, you can also side load (install) the VPN on Android devices that support native VPN applications.
IPVanish iOS App
While the IPVanish app for iPhone and iPad is visually different to the Android app, it’s still easy to use.
You can access advanced features via the settings button in the top right hand corner. Unlike the Android app, there’s less on offer here. There are only two extra settings: auto-connect, and a protocol toggle between WireGuard, IKEv2, IPSEC and L2TP.
The default protocol is IKEv2, a good choice for mobile devices switching between WiFi and cellular data.
The server list displays server load and ping times, and it includes the ‘favorites’ list, which isn’t available on Android.
The iOS app is more limited than the Android one.
Unfortunately, the lack of features on the iOS app is evident. There’s no kill switch, no split tunneling, and no LAN exemption.
At least, you can build whitelists and blacklists of WiFi networks. The app will remember the networks to trust, and the ones to block.
Based on our review, the iOS client is IPVanish’s weakest application. It’s functional, but it needs some work.
IPVanish’s Fire TV Stick app
The IPVanish Firestick VPN app is the best we’ve tested. It isn’t best-designed one, but it’s highly secure and easy to use.
IPVanish has the best Fire TV Stick app
The app has many customizable settings, including auto-startup, auto-reconnect, LAN exemption, and even split tunneling.
The real-time upload/download speed graph is prominent, like IPVanish’s other apps, but it doesn’t affect functionality. If anything, it looks better on a TV than on a phone or computer screen.
You can use either OpenVPN (UDP or TCP) or WireGuard connection protocols. You can also “scramble” your OpenVPN traffic, which worked to unblock certain apps that were blocking standard VPN traffic.
The main drawback of IPVanish’s Fire TV Stick app is that it lacks a kill switch. It’s a disappointing oversight, considering how security-focused the VPN company is.
How to install IPVanish on your Fire TV Stick:
- Select ‘apps’ and then ‘categories’ from the Fire TV Stick home screen.
- Choose ‘utility’ and then select the IPVanish application.
- Download IPVanish and select ‘open’ to enter your login details.
- Click ‘connect’ to use the nearest server, or pick a server from the ‘options’ menu.
IPVanish Linux Client
Like many other VPN services, IPVanish hasn’t built a native Linux VPN application.
To use IPVanish on Linux, you’ll have to therefore use standard command lines, in the absence of a graphical user interface.
IPVanish is compatible with on Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali, Mint, Lubuntu, Pop! OS. The CLI (Command Line Interface) supports OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, and IKEv2 connections.
IPVanish Is Worth the Slightly Higher Cost
Price & Value for Money
IPVanish is not the cheapest VPN, but it's reasonably priced given its quality. The prices of its subscription plans are similar to other top-tier VPN services.
There are two subscription plans available: a monthly, and a yearly plan. Each option is paid upfront and includes exactly the same features.
If you sign up to IPVanish via our links, you can get a discount of up to 65%.
The best price comes with the yearly subscription plan. This costs $3.75 per month, billed as $44.99 the first year, and $89.99 each year thereafter.
Monthly
US$10.99/mo
Billed $10.99 every month12 Month(s)
US$3.75/mo
Billed $44.99 the first year, $89.99 thereafter
Payment & Refund Options
American Express Mastercard PayPal Visa
You can pay for your IPVanish subscription by credit card, debit card, or PayPal. International payment methods, like Alipay, are not supported.
Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, and cash payments are also not accepted. It’s therefore impossible to subscribe to IPVanish with total anonymity.
IPVanish offers a 30-day refund period on yearly plans
IPVanish used to offer a 100% free trial to new iOS subscribers, but that is no longer the case.
Now, to enjoy an IPVanish’s virtual free trial, you’ll have to take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.
This 30-day refund promise is no-questions-asked, and refunds are processed within 10 working days. However, it only applies to yearly subscriptions, and it falls short of CyberGhost’s 45-day money-back guarantee.
Also, if you sign up for IPVanish via the Apple App Store, you won’t qualify for the money-back guarantee at all.
Helpful 24/7 Live Chat Support
Customer Support
IPVanish offers customer support via an extensive online help section, 24/7 live chat and email support. We've always found it to be fast and freindly.
| 24/7 LiveChat support | Yes |
|---|---|
| 24/7 Email support | Yes |
| Online Resources | Yes |
The fastest way to get support is via Live Chat, which you can reach from the top-right of the website. Live chat agents are helpful, and always respond quickly. The round-the-clock email support is also excellent, with prompt and well-written responses.
Live chat is a welcome addition
Equally, the website features many detailed tutorials on using IPVanish on various platforms. For example, there are 12 guides just for using the VPN on Windows.
The online FAQ section is also good for straightforward solutions to common issues.
There’s telephone support, too, which isn’t offered by any other big name VPN. It’s available from 9am to 5pm CST, Monday to Friday.
IPVanish VPN Is a Good, Very Secure Choice
The Bottom Line
We recommend IPVanish primarily to P2P, Kodi, Fire TV Stick, and Android users.
The VPN service is an all-around excellent software product that competes with the very best VPNs.
IPVanish is fast across its secure network of servers. Its native VPN apps are highly secure and have many advanced features. And, unlike many other VPNs, you can use IPVanish on as many devices as you like at once.
IPVanish is a strong choice for anonymous torrenting and Kodi streams. High speeds, no-logs policy, and IP leak protection are the hallmark of a great P2P VPN.
What the VPN service isn’t good for is bypassing strict VPN blocks. Whether its a streaming platform or a country’s firewall, IPVanish is unlikely to work well.
Additional research by Luke Williams
Alternatives to IPVanish VPN
ExpressVPN
As our top-rated VPN service, ExpressVPN excels in almost every department. It doesn’t focus on Fire TV Stick or Kodi to the same extent, but it beats IPVanish in most other areas. Read ExpressVPN review
VyprVPN
If you need a VPN for China (or any other high censorship country) take a look at VyprVPN. Its “Chameleon Protocol” is one of the most effective anti-censorship protocols available. Read VyprVPN review
User Feedback for IPVanish VPN
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