IPVanish has everything you love about a VPN, including a lack of user logs, a long list of servers, and features for advanced users.
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are increasing in popularity due to the ever-eroding nature of online privacy. A VPN can be best described as an encrypted tunnel that protects your data as it moves between your device and the open internet. Not only that, it also helps keeps you anonymous while you go about your business.
There are many VPNs on offer, but that doesn't mean they're all equal. IPVanish is a leading VPN provider, thanks to a lack of log-keeping, a long list of servers, and snappy performance. Read on for more information about IPVanish and whether or not it's right for you.
One of the first things you'll look for when shopping for a VPN service is the price. IPVanish has three plans to choose from:
A one-year plan to IPVanish is the cheapest deal you can get, costing $6.49 per month but . If you don't need a year's worth of VPN — like if you're taking a trip and need it for hostels and cafes — you can grab a three-month deal at $8.99 per month that's .
Just want to give IPVanish a try? There's a monthly subscription option that , and there's a seven-day money-back guarantee that can be treated as a trial. There is, unfortunately, no lifetime plan available, something many of us look for when shopping a VPN.
, IPVanish is priced somewhere in the middle. For example, you can grab a yearly subscription to Private Internet Access VPN for $3.33 per month, billed yearly at $39.95. That's about half of what IPVanish costs. On the other hand, IPVanish is significantly cheaper than a yearly plan to ExpressVPN, which costs about $100.
IPVanish has a wide range of payment options, including credit card, Bitcoin, PayPal, and more, but most gift cards are not accepted, which is somewhat of a downer if you value anonymity throughout the entire process. If you're looking for a completely anonymous transaction, be sure to go with Bitcoin.
Strong security, poor location
IPVanish security protocols
IPVanish, like any good VPN service, takes security seriously, and they offer the full gamut of connection protocols. OpenVPN — both TPC and UDP — is used by default in the Android app, but for Chromebook, you're stuck with either L2TP or IPSec, which are both capped at 128-bit AES encryption.
IPVanish treats their OpenVPN protocol properly, offering 256-bit AES encryption, authentication by means of SHA-256, and a handshake with RSA-2048. This is rock-solid protection and you should feel comfortable using it.
If you're on Android, security comes first. On Chrome, it's less of a priority.
On top of having a secure OpenVPN protocol, IPVanish provides users with a few extra options. You can choose which port to use for OpenVPN, and there's a scramble option that effectively hides the fact that your traffic is encrypted. That's a welcome option and not something you see from many other services.
The only downside that we can write about when it comes to IPVanish's security is that the company itself is based in the United States. This might turn a lot of users away in favor of a VPN service located somewhere that doesn't have such aggressive intelligence practices.
Laying it on thick
IPVanish features
This is a full-featured VPN that doesn't skimp on speed or server options.
IPVanish has an impressive set of features that users can take advantage of. You can have five devices connected simultaneously to VPN servers, and you don't have to worry about running out of bandwidth; you can use their service all you want without hitting a cap. Considering you can also , you're effectively locking down a ton of other devices in your home.
There are more than 850 servers you can connect to in more than 60 countries, with more than 40,000 shared IP addresses. No matter where you are, you're likely going to get a speedy connection. There's also no limit on how many times you can switch servers in a set amount of time, so you can click around until you find a good speed.
Some of the features that you'll see settings for in the client include automatic IPv6 leak protection, automatic DNS leak protection, a kill switch that stops all traffic if the VPN goes down, and an automatic IP address changer that can be set to change at a timed interval of your choosing.
Rounding out the features is a SOCKS5 web proxy for VoIP, as well as the ability to torrent over the IPVanish network, something I'm sure many of you will love. Even if you're using a P2P network for legal purposes, many outside entities have a hard time distinguishing between legal and illegal. It would be a shame to have your name on a list somewhere.
A note on IPVanish and Netflix. In my testing, I couldn't get access to U.S. Netflix from where I'm located in Canada. If you're looking at a VPN primarily for unblocking streaming services, look elsewhere.
Best intentions
IPVanish's stance on user activity logs
IPVanish makes it clear in their that they keep absolutely no logs. Yes, they might require your name, address, and email for billing purposes, but you can circumnavigate this by paying with Bitcoin.
Because IPVanish is situated in the U.S., it's hard to tell whether they'll ever be pressured by an outside agency to cough up information. It seems that everything is currently running smoothly, but that could change without us knowing, and by that point, it would be too late.
Easy and intuitive
Setting up and using the IPVanish app
Getting everything set up on an Android device is painless. The app is readily available in the Play Store, and, assuming you've already created an account and purchased a subscription on the IPVanish website, all you need to do is log in. Note that Chromebook users will have to , as there is no extension available.
The app is nicely-designed, but it's set up for permanent night mode.
You're greeted with a Quick Connect menu that has a large, green Connect button right in the middle, with some options below for choosing a country, a city, and a server. There is also information about your connection status, your real IP address, and your real location.
The user interface is, by default, set to a dark or night view — text is white or green while the background is slate. I don't mind this at all and enjoy seeing it from the start, but if you have a hard time reading the text this way, you'll be disappointed that you can't swap the colors around for a standard app view.
In most cases, I didn't stray far from the Quick Connect menu because it has almost everything I need. However, when you really want to tweak your connection, you can head into the Server List menu, which contains a list of servers you can sort by country, city, or number of servers. You can also search through the servers if you have one in mind.
Finally, there is a filter tab where you can nail down a collection of servers based on connection protocol, country, and latency. This helps if you're an advanced user and really know what you want, but can be pretty much ignored by most novice VPN users.
Overall, the IPVanish client is about as easy as they come. If you're a novice user, you can stick with the Quick Connect menu and trust that your connection is secured, but there are also a bunch of settings that can be quickly changed behind the scenes, something advanced users will love.
Make it snappy
IPVanish speed and performance
IPVanish doesn't put any limits on bandwidth, so you don't have to worry about hitting a cap and having everything slow down. IPVanish claims they deliver the best VPN speeds, so we put it to the test.
Using a Wi-Fi connection on my , I used to test with and without IPVanish enabled. I tried a domestic connection in Canada, a close international connection in the U.S., and finally a far international connection in Australia. An OpenVPN (UDP) protocol was used.
First test (Mid-morning)
Test Ping Download Upload
No VPN 19 ms 23.46 Mbps 2.82 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (Canada) 69 ms 19.00 Mbps 2.87 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (United States) 99 ms 25.56 Mbps 3.08 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (Australia) 420 ms 0.85 Mbps 7.71 Mbps
Second test (Late afternoon)
Test Ping Download Upload
No VPN 19 ms 16.09 Mbps 2.81 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (Canada) 114 ms 15.13 Mbps 2.70 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (United States) 112 ms 17.52 Mbps 2.90 Mbps
IPVanish recommended server (Australia) 406 ms 0.43 Mbps 2.73 Mbps
As you can see from the results above, speeds varied depending on the time of day and, more drastically, the location of the server. I tested the Australian server a few times, and the results were wildly inconsistent. There seemed to be almost no bandwidth for downloads, and, at times, relatively high speeds for uploads. Testing on other platforms did not draw the same odd results.
Connecting to or switching between servers is snappy. It takes no longer than a couple of seconds to connect, which can't be said for many other VPN providers. While in my testing it might not have the actual fastest speeds when connecting through the recommended servers, there are many factors that contribute — my location, the location of the Ookla server, and the load on the VPN server all come into account. I don't think the claim of having the best VPN speeds would hold up under heavy scrutiny — especially with the odd results when connecting overseas — but overall I was pleased with the performance when I kept to my own continent.
Help yourself
IPVanish customer service
When it comes to getting help with any problems, you have two options. You can search through an extensive library of guides and how-tos on the IPVanish website, or you can send an email directly to support staff. I sent a test email with a phony problem, and I received an answer faster than I was expecting.
There is no live chat option, so don't expect a quick conversation, but, in my experience, you should have someone helping you out within an hour.
IPVanish review conclusion
Not only is IPVanish's Quick Connect menu suitable for novice users, there's also a host of settings in the background that advanced users will love. There are over 850 servers in more than 60 countries, and you'll be using one of 40,000 shared IP addresses. Tack on a lack of log keeping and secure connection protocols, and you have a very strong option. The only thing that makes me wary about IPVanish is their primary U.S. location.
Pros
- Strong encryption.
- Works on plenty of devices, including Tomato routers.
- Good performance...most of the time.
- Lots of servers in lots of countries.
- Located in the U.S.
- No live support.
- Odd performance on some servers.