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IPVanish is a decent VPN with strong security features. It unblocks major streaming services and lets you browse the internet anonymously. However, its controversial past casts doubts on its no-logs policy. Should you use IPVanish to browse the internet privately and trust that it will safeguard your information? Those are important questions I hope to address in this IPVanish VPN review.
I tested every feature IPVanish offers, including streaming, torrenting, and browsing on the Tor network. I also examined IPVanish’s security features and tested the app for IP/DNS leaks that would compromise users’ privacy. I looked into the fine print of its privacy policy and voiced my concerns to its customer support to see what they’d say.
A quick summary: IPVanish is secure and respects your privacy. Since changing management, IPVanish has updated its no-logs policy and introduced more reliable features to its app. IPVanish is a good streaming VPN that unblocks popular content. It’s easy to use and affordable. Importantly, IPVanish allows unlimited connections for a single account.
IPVanish offers security features and no-logs practices to protect your privacy and data. The app lets you easily personalize security features, such as the protocol, the kill switch, DNS leak protection, and network security settings.
IPVanish uses AES-256-bit encryption to prevent third parties from intercepting and reading your data. AES-256 scrambles your data, making it incomprehensible for anyone who spies on your internet connection. Banks, governments, and the military use the same AES-256 encryption to protect confidential information.
AES-256 is so secure that it’s virtually unbreakable. Anyone who intercepted your data would need millions of years to find the right combination to unscramble the encryption.
IPVanish supports different secure VPN protocols. VPN protocols are data transmission methods that the app uses to package and send information. IPVanish allows users to manually choose a protocol or enable the app to use one that best fits the device. These are the protocols that you can choose from.
IPVanish uses WireGuard by default, the fastest protocol for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. It also provides Scramble, an obfuscation technology for the OpenVPN protocol. When enabled, Scramble helps you bypass stringent censorship by authorities or ISPs.
IPVanish’s Windows, macOS, and Android apps include a kill switch. A kill switch is a software mechanism that automatically cuts off your internet connection if the VPN connection fails. It prevents hackers or other parties from spying on your device while you’re reconnecting to the VPN. In addition to disconnecting the internet, IPVanish has an advanced kill switch option that allows you to block local network traffic.
However, IPVanish’s kill switch is not enabled by default. Your privacy can still be compromised until you enable the kill switch with the toggle. In the Android app, turning on the kill switch is more complicated. The app provides you instructions to enable it manually from the device settings.
IPVanish has a worded no-logs policy. IPVanish doesn’t store browsing histories, IP addresses, connection time stamps, or DNS inquiries on its website. This means that IPVanish can’t turn in your personal data to authorities because it doesn’t store any.
However, IPVanish does collect certain information for administrative purposes. For example, IPVanish collects users’ email addresses and payment information to bill them for the service. It uses anonymous user data to resolve technical issues and improve its services. IPVanish stores usernames, starting IP addresses, and specific connection details to prevent abuse of its unmetered connections.
IPVanish’s no-logs policy is independently audited by Leviathan Security Group. Leviathan is a Seattle-based company that helps global businesses strengthen their security processes. In its latest audit, in March 2022, Leviathan tested and verified that IPVanish does not log connection, traffic, or activity data other than that disclosed in its privacy policy.
According to its website, IPVanish VPN is proudly based in the US. This may cause discomfort for some VPN subscribers because the US belongs to the Five Eyes alliance, which is also part of the Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes Alliances. These alliances are countries that collaborate and share intelligence. Still, there is nothing to worry about if IPVanish does not store data that can be used against you.
Being a US-based VPN subjects IPVanish to the country’s legislation. While the US doesn’t compel VPN providers to retain user data, it can request such records through enforcement agencies and court orders. If the authorities required IPVanish to turn in customer information, IPVanish would have no choice but to comply.
This was evident in 2016 when the US Department of Homeland Security summoned IPVanish to assist in an ongoing investigation. Highwinds Network Group, the previous owner of IPVanish, allegedly turned over records that helped investigators identify the suspects shown in the court affidavit.
I was concerned about IPVanish’s troubled past and raised the issue via live chat. The customer support team assures me that IPVanish has changed its management and revamped its privacy policy. IPVanish is now owned and managed by the VIPRE Security Group, a global organization with 25+ years in cybersecurity.
Tor supports safe browsing. People use Tor to access the Internet anonymously by routing data requests through multiple nodes, which provides several layers of stealth before the data reaches the webserver. According to IPVanish, using its VPN service on the Tor network reinforces security but might result in a slower connection.
I tried visiting regular websites and .onion sites with the Tor browser and IPVanish. Surprisingly, the delay was not as bad as anticipated, and I could access Facebook, Onion Links, and The Hidden Wiki within 5 to 10 seconds. Even with IPVanish connected, there was no noticeable delay in the loading time.
IPVanish VPN protects users against IP/DNS and WebRTC leaks. These leaks happen when a flaw in the VPN exposes a user’s IP address or DNS despite staying connected. IPVanish automatically enables DNS and IP leak protection.
I noted that IPVanish extends its IP leak prevention to IPv6. IPv6 is a new protocol that web browsers and apps use to exchange data on the internet. Not all VPNs offer IPv6 leak protection. If you use a VPN that does not support IPv6, your IP address will be visible when using apps or websites via IPv6.
To verify that IPVanish’s leak protection works, I tested the VPN service with ipleak.net and browserleaks.com. Both tools confirmed that IPVanish does not accidentally expose my IP or ISP’s DNS when I connect to its server. The results also showed that IPVanish allows browsers to use the IPv6 protocol safely.
IPVanish claims it can circumvent censorship anywhere, allowing unlimited streaming and access to geo-blocked content. This will come in handy if you want to watch TV shows from Netflix in the US or use Google in China, for example. In this IPVanish review, I tested IPVanish on popular streaming services and explored whether its obfuscation technology works against the strictest censorship.
IPVanish positioned itself as a streaming VPN that provides access to major streaming platforms. It doesn’t provide dedicated streaming servers. Instead, all IPVanish servers are optimized for streaming and bypassing geo-restrictions. In my review, I unblocked popular streaming services, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and HBO Max.
Unblocking Netflix US with IPVanish is possible, but some reviews might state otherwise due to Netflix’s continuous blacklisting of VPN services. I easily accessed the Netflix US library with the New York and San Jose servers. This is surprising because many premium VPNs struggle to overcome Netflix’s anti-VPN censorship.
Not only could I watch Travellers in HD from Netflix US, but I also experienced no lag or disruptions. I’m happy with IPVanish’s streaming speed, considering I’m based in Malaysia, about 10,000 miles away.
I also tried accessing Netflix in other countries by connecting to a random server in those countries. I streamed Netflix content from the UK, France, Netherlands, and Japan. I didn’t encounter any servers that failed to unblock Netflix.
BBC iPlayer is only available for UK residents and blocks content if you’re not in the UK. I experienced mixed results when I tried to unblock BBC iPlayer with IPVanish. I managed to stream the content in most attempts but was blocked occasionally when connected to IPVanish’s London server.
I tried streaming from a different browser but was also blocked. This rules out uncleared browser cookies and convinced me that BBC blocks specific IPVanish server IP addresses. I raised the issue with IPVanish’s support team, but they couldn’t replicate the incident.
I also tried unblocking these services with IPVanish, and I was successful.
As I can’t test IPVanish from within China, I contacted the IPVanish customer service team about this issue. IPVanish is unlikely to work in China and other countries that actively censor VPN providers. It fails to bypass China’s firewall even with the Scramble obfuscation technology enabled. Bypassing censorship by manually connecting to IPVanish’s server worked in the past, but the Chinese authorities have also blocked that.
IPVanish offers fast and consistent connection speeds across its servers. All VPNs will suffer download and upload speed drops because the data goes through encryption and decryption. However, IPVanish fares reasonably well by providing fast download rates for ultra-HD streaming, even on long-distance servers.
For this IPVanish review, I ran speed tests on different VPN locations and protocols and examined three indicators that provide a good perspective about IPVanish’s overall speed.
I started the test by measuring my internet speed without a VPN connection. This allowed me to establish a baseline and compare IPVanish’s speed on different servers. My test location is in Malaysia, and my base connection gave me 272 Mbps download and 202 Mbps upload.
I tried connecting to a server in Malaysia to gauge IPVanish’s short-distance performance, and I experienced a 16% drop in downloads but a 17% increase in uploads. This hints that my local ISP is throttling my upload bandwidth.
Here’s a table of all my speed test results.
| Ping (ms) | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | |
| No VPN | 4 | 272.19 | 202.6 |
| Malaysia | 10 | 228.66 | 235.49 |
| Hongkong | 42 | 177.6 | 211.48 |
| US | 246 | 151.07 | 249.96 |
| UK | 177 | 164.42 | 274.09 |
| France | 176 | 176.91 | 274.18 |
| Australia | 203 | 167.42 | 169.95 |
| Japan | 90 | 193.17 | 171.24 |
Next, I tested IPVanish’s instant connect button, which connects the device to the fastest location. I was connected to a Hong Kong server, but it isn’t the fastest available. At 178 Mbps download and 211 Mbps upload, Hong Kong’s server is marginally slower than its Malaysian counterpart.
Then, I expanded my test to cover the US, the UK, Europe, Oceania, and Asian regions. The US, being the farthest from my location, produced the largest drop in download speed, at 151 Mbps on a New York server. Impressively, the upload speed remained at 249 Mbps.
I shifted my focus to the busiest London server and recorded marginally better speeds. In Europe, I tested a server in France and experienced a 7% increase in my download rate. Australia’s download and upload speeds were a 38% and 16% decline from my baseline.
Meanwhile, Japan’s server provided a decent 193 MBps download rate.
My test showed that IPVanish is consistent and fast in different locations. Even at the farthest server in the US, I managed to record a download speed of 151 Mbps. This is way above the minimum required for ultra-HD streaming. However, the ping of 246 ms would affect real-time online games.
| Ping (ms) | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | |
| No VPN | 4 | 272.19 | 202.6 |
| Malaysia | 10 | 228.66 | 235.49 |
| Hongkong | 42 | 177.6 | 211.48 |
| US | 246 | 151.07 | 249.96 |
| UK | 177 | 164.42 | 274.09 |
| France | 176 | 176.91 | 274.18 |
| Australia | 203 | 167.42 | 169.95 |
| Japan | 90 | 193.17 | 171.24 |
In this review, I compared IPVanish connection speed on a Malaysian server for all protocols it supports. Undoubtedly, WireGuard proves to be the fastest, with 228 Mbps download and 235 Mbps upload. OpenVPN is second by a slight margin, recording 211 Mbps download and an uptick in upload at 239 Mbps. This leaves IKEv2 third, with a download speed of 237 Mbps and an upload speed of 101 Mbps.
Overall, I find IPVanish’s servers fast and consistent. I didn’t spot any servers with abnormally slow connections during my review.
IPVanish offers flexibility and features that rival top VPNs. I’ll describe them below.
Users can install IPVanish on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It provides download links, installers, and guides on the dashboard. IPVanish is also supported on several Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Fedora, and Kali Linux.
Users can also install IPVanish on Chrome OS if the device allows them to download Android apps from the Play Store. Amazon Kindle users can download and install IPVanish by searching for the app on the home screen. It also works on Amazon Fire Stick, but only on the second-generation or newer models.
IPVanish is installable on routers that support DD-WRT, Tomato, ASUSWRT, or ASUSWRT-Merlin. This involves expert-level configuration. For non-technical users, IPVanish suggests using a router from flash routers, as they come installed with IPVanish.
IPVanish has an extensive network of 2,400+ VPN servers spanning 90 locations. Many of those servers are distributed across the US, the UK, and Europe, allowing users access to the libraries of major streaming providers in those regions.
The number of servers also ensures the VPN network is not congested. The app allows you to view the load of each server. Most servers average 10% usage, which means IPVanish has a healthy servers-to-users ratio.
IPVanish does not limit the number of devices you can use concurrently. This is generous, as Surfshark and Windscribe are the only other top VPN providers with similar offerings. However, IPVanish does monitor usage to prevent abuse, such as sharing one account with friends.
While IPVanish does not explicitly support torrenting, it does not limit it. IPVanish provides tutorials that guide users on setting up uTorrent, which allows users to download and seed torrent files anonymously with the built-in Socks5 proxy. Socks5 is an internet protocol commonly used by P2P software to transmit data safely.
To find out if IPVanish notably slows down P2P activities, I tried downloading a movie with 1,000+ seeds on uTorrent. I connected to a local VPN server with the WireGuard protocol. I normally get 4.5 MB/s to 6.5 MB/s without a VPN. With IPVanish connected, my download speed averaged right in the middle at 5.5 MB/s, and I didn’t notice any large drops in speed.
IPVanish has split tunneling on desktop and mobile apps. Split tunneling allows users to exclude specific apps from using IPVanish. It’s helpful if you find IPVanish prevents certain apps from functioning properly or slows down your connection too much for certain activities. For example, some banking apps do not work on a VPN connection. And because of the risk of higher ping, you may not want to game on a VPN if you don’t have to.
A special feature of the IPVanish mobile app is LAN Access. When enabled, it routes all LAN traffic outside the VPN. This is helpful if you play LAN games with friends and do not want IPVanish to create unnecessary latency. It also allows users to share large files within a private workspace network.
The IPVanish desktop apps allow users to change how the VPN behaves on different networks. It provides a safelist where users can add trusted networks to the app. Then, users can configure IPVanish to automatically launch when the computer starts and connects to an untrusted network. This feature is not available on its mobile apps.
IPVanish took a minimalist approach to its apps. The computer and mobile apps are uncluttered with easy-to-navigate interfaces, albeit with different layouts. I had no problems using IPVanish, as all the controls and settings are easily accessible with a few clicks.
The IPVanish PC app has a home screen with a map and indicators for server locations. Double-clicking any of those geographical indicators will connect to a respective VPN server. The app also has a Quick Connect button overlaying the top of the screen. It allows you to connect to your last server instantly.
IPVanish has a menu bar with self-explanatory icons neatly arranged on the left side. Clicking on the hamburger icon expands the menu and brings into view the descriptive text of each icon. The icons represent Home, Locations, Settings, Info, and Account.
The Locations page lists all available servers in different countries. Each server location has real-time ping and load values. At the rightmost of each server location, a column shows the number of servers in that place. This can be expanded to display individual servers that you can connect to.
IPVanish also allows users to connect to the fastest available server by clicking the Connect button on the Locations page. However, it may not work perfectly. For example, I was automatically connected to a Hong Kong server slower than Malaysia and Japan servers.
The Settings icon opens the configuration panel where users can customize the IPVanish app. The Connection tab allows you to enable the kill switch and disable LAN access when the VPN is connected.
Meanwhile, the Protocol tab lets you choose between WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols.
The Info page contains the knowledge base and general information. It also contains diagnostic logs that might be useful if you encounter problems with the app. The diagnostic files may contain private data, such as your IP address. The app lets you remove the diagnostic file or sensitive information from the logs.
The IPVanish mobile app shares a minimalist theme similar to the PC version but with a mobile-optimized layout.
The homepage is distinctly different and, in my opinion, more relevant than the PC app’s home screen. It has a Quick Connect button that connects the user’s device to the fastest available server and an indicator that shows the connected server on the world map.
The app’s menu is at the bottom of the screen, with Home, Locations, Settings, and Help. Tapping on Locations displays a list of VPN locations sorted by country. The app allows you to filter VPN servers by city or choose from your Favorite list. Alternatively, you can use the search bar to find an IPVanish server in a specific location.
The Settings page lets you access essential app settings. For example, you can change the VPN protocol, enable split tunneling for certain apps, or enable the kill switch. IPVanish does not have a native kill switch on the mobile app but uses the Android Wi-Fi kill switch instead. The kill switch feature is not available for iOS devices.
IPVanish offers a 7-day free trial on Android and iOS.
It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee for its yearly and two-yearly plans. You are not entitled to the money-back guarantee if you choose the monthly or quarterly plan.
To get a refund within 30 days of purchasing the yearly plan, contact a support agent via live chat and simply ask for a refund. You may be asked what went wrong or if you need any help, but if you ask again for the refund, you’ll get it with no further questions.
IPVanish provides several help-seeking options: the knowledge base, email support, and live chat.
IPVanish has an extensive knowledge base, with guides and FAQs categorized into relevant topics. Many guides are helpful, but some fail to answer my questions directly. For example, IPVanish provides straightforward instructions with screenshots on a guide to fix an error on the Windows app.
However, the FAQ about port forwarding isn’t very clear. It fails to answer with a simple yes or no, instead going into a lengthy explanation about the NAT firewall. Eventually, I found the answer in the 2nd paragraph. A simple “no” followed by an explanation would work best.
IPVanish has a responsive email support team. You can ask a question by filling in the email submission form on the website. It does not specify the expected response time, only that the support team will respond as soon as possible.
For this IPVanish review, I sent an email asking if IPVanish could unblock Disney+. The support team responded within 10 minutes with recommendations and questions to better help me. When I provided the requested information, they replied in minutes.
IPVanish provides immediate support via 24/7 live chat. To connect to an agent, visit the Help page and click the Help button on the bottom right. The chat then connects you to an automated bot, which provides several recommendations for your questions. A “Get In Touch” option shows up several moments later.
I tried asking questions via live chat on several occasions. I was impressed by how quickly an agent connected to the conversation and responded to my inquiry. The support agent explained professionally, patiently, and with easy-to-understand words. They may put you on hold to seek answers for more complex issues.
In this review, I found that IPVanish is a VPN with strong security and privacy features. It’s one of the best VPNs for people with large families or who own many devices, as it offers unlimited connections. IPVanish also works well for those who want to stream video content unavailable in their regions.
For business travelers or citizens in restrictive countries, I recommend against using IPVanish to overcome country-wide censorship. Despite its obfuscation technology, IPVanish does not work in countries that block VPN providers—you’re better off with ExpressVPN. That aside, IPVanish excels in almost every area, including download speeds, customer service, ease of use, and server count.
No. IPVanish is not free, nor does it offer a free trial. However, you can get a refund within 30 days of subscribing to the yearly plan, making it risk-free to try IPVanish.
Yes, you can trust IPVanish. Despite its controversial past, IPVanish has undergone positive changes under new management. It has an updated privacy policy, which is independently audited. Throughout my research and testing, I found no reasons to doubt IPVanish's integrity and commitment to privacy.
IPVanish uses shared IP addresses for its VPN servers. These IP addresses are public and can be traced by external parties. However, your IP address will remain hidden from authorities, ISPs, and hackers because IPVanish masks it, so activity on the servers can't be traced back to individuals. No one can spy on your internet activities when connected to an IPVanish server.
IPVanish does not save connection logs that can tie you to your online activities. It doesn't store your IP address, browser history, or session information.
IPVanish maintains anonymous data, email addresses, and payment methods to facilitate billing, support, and administrative tasks.
IPVanish is based in the United States, specifically in Dallas, Texas.
People use IPVanish because it is a good streaming, torrenting, and gaming VPN. IPVanish offers strong security and unblocks popular streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. It also provides reasonably good streaming speeds for watching HD videos without buffering. High-speed gaming is also possible on nearby and medium-distance servers.
Yes. IPVanish offers unlimited bandwidth and does not impose a speed limit on its servers. Additionally, IPVanish allows subscribers to use the VPN app on any number of devices.
Yes. IPVanish is working with Netflix at the time of this writing. In my review, I could access Netflix in the US, UK, France, Netherlands, and Japan. Plenty of other libraries should work, too.
IPVanish's annual plan costs $47.89 for the first year ($3.99/month) and $89.99 for subsequent years ($7.50/month). The subscription comes with the VIPRE antivirus and anti-malware program.
IPVanish VPN is fast and has no issue streaming high-resolution video, downloading torrent files, and gaming. Connection speed is consistent across the VPN servers, with expected drops as the distance increases. Ping is also within reasonable limits for most servers, except for the farthest locations.
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