Find out everything you need to know about IPVanish in this updated IPVanish review for 2023!
According to my last IPVanish testing back in 2023
IPVanish tops the list for most VPN users and websites, providing fast streaming speeds and unblocking multiple US-based channels, apps, services, etc.
It also was pretty strong on the security front, allowed only 10 simultaneous device connections (which is now revised) along with other features.
But, can you trust this provider in 2023?
There were some claims made towards the IPVanish no-logs policy back in 2016 that resulted in evidence proving that IPVanish kept user logs.
However, the reliability of the IPVanish policies was worked upon over the years and user reviews have changed over time. This only proves that IPVanish has managed to re-do its policies and abide by them.
But, let’s just take a look for ourselves later on? We’ll be taking another deep look into the IPVanish logging policies, rechecking their reliability.
In this review, you’ll be unfolding different layers of the IPVanish VPN app, determining whether it still is worth your time, investments, and trust in the future. There were also some updates made to the IPVanish apps.
So, read ahead and go through each point step by step. This phase is important especially if you’re a first-time VPN user.
IPVanish Review – At a glance
| Base | USA |
| Price | $3.75/mo. |
| Servers | 1600+ servers in 75+ countries |
| Logs | No-logs |
| Multi-logins | Unlimited device connections |
| Refund | 30-days |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Website | Ipvanish.com |
Now, before moving to the bigger parts of this IPVanish review, you should first take a look at what we already know about this provider. According to that, you’ll be able to cross-check whether this VPN is worth it and secure enough when we conclude.
- A US-based provider. (Have to check its safety according to the IPVanish no-logging policies)
- Updated its coverage to 1600+ servers in 75+ locations with most of its servers in the US
- Unblocks Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and more. (To be double checked again)
- Claims to have fast speeds. (To be tested further on)
- Doesn’t log its user’s data. (To be looked into further on)
- Good with security and privacy support.
- Compatible with all the major operating systems and offers multiple device connections.
- User-friendly app (discussed further on)
IPVanish review – The rating criterion
If you’re new to the VPN industry, you’d need a lot of help getting acquainted with the best VPN software. But, even with all the help thrown your way, it can be a little overwhelming don’t you think?
Multiple websites have their views and reviews of VPN, but the result always depends on you and not because someone told you to buy this product.
In light of this, to make things a little easier for you to choose whether IPVanish is the one for you, I say always go step by step and follow a proper testing guide. This is why I always run my VPN tests through a set criterion. I’ll be putting IPVanish through a series of tests, also digging deep into its policies and claims.
That’s the only way you’re going to get a full view of IPVanish. So, here’s the criterion for its testing:
- Pricing
- Location
- Security
- Invisibility
- Streaming
- Speed
- Compatibility
- Reliability
Pricing – Is IPVanish affordable? Or is it worth the price?
The price of a VPN is very important. There are a couple of premium providers that offer affordable prices and IPVanish is one of them. There are certain providers that offer fewer features but are overly priced. So, which one will you choose?
The reason I wanted to discuss the IPVanish prices first, is to give you a clearer idea of what it costs. Then further on you’ll get a clearer idea of the features it provides, the speeds it delivers, its unblocking abilities, etc. According to that, you’ll be able to answer whether IPVanish is affordable or not.
IPVanish offers two kinds of packages, here’s the regular one:
- $10.99/mo. for the 1-month plan
- $3.75/mo. for the 1-year plan, billed $44.99 for the first year and $89.99 thereafter.
It costs:
- $5.49/mo. for the 1-month plan
- $3.75/mo. for the 1-year plan, billed $49.99 for the first year and $99.99 thereafter. This deal is only for those who’d like a free 500GB of data storage.
This plan happens to be much more cost-friendly than all the packages on the list. However, you should see whatever plan feels better according to you.
IPVanish payment method
The IPVanish payment method breaks into the following:
- Credit Card
- PayPal
IPVanish 30-day Refund policy
IPVanish, according to other websites, claims to have a 7-day free trial for iOS smartphones. However, even if that used to be true in the past, you always need to go through new updates and policies before investing. I contacted the support chat and asked if there were any free trials available this year, to which they responded:
However, luckily, there has been an update to the IPVanish free-trial refund policy. It used to allow a money-back guarantee that stretched only up to 7-days. With the upgrades made, the new IPVanish refund goes up to 30-days! So, once you’ve decided which price plan suits you best, you can proceed to download and install the app.
Location – Discussing the IPVanish jurisdiction
Now, have you heard of the 14-eyes alliance? They’re a group of countries that infiltrate their citizen’s online activities, stealing their data, keeping it for a rainy day.
Even though the safety of a VPN jurisdiction depends on whether they’re a part of the alliance, there are some providers like IPVanish who have strict rules against data-retention.
IPVanish originates from the United States but isn’t a part of the alliance. You’ll see their policies later on.
IPVanish location coverage – What’s served?
Moving on from the grim details, there are other aspects to look into regarding the IPVanish location. Now, since you know that IPVanish is a US-based VPN, this means it’s much easier to access many streaming services or websites from abroad. A US VPN means more US server coverage.
IPVanish owns its servers; 1600+ servers in 75+ locations with most of its coverage within the US. That’s convenient for people living anywhere outside the US and trying to access multiple streaming services and websites that are blocked within their regions. It makes it a great way to hide your IP address in other countries or within your own.
Each server is optimized for streaming and torrenting, in which IPVanish claims to have great speeds. But, we’ll test all of that later on. For now, we’ll review the IPVanish security.
Security – IPVanish encryption and other features
You buy a VPN for its unblocking abilities within internationally censored regions, you buy one even for the speeds, but, what good is that if you get caught in the middle?
Neither Topvpnservice nor I endorse the streaming or downloading of copyrighted or censored material, but, if you’re still going to go ahead and do it, better be safe than sorry.
The security support and advanced features of a VPN are important, period. There are no ifs and buts about it. If you’re investing in a VPN, you go for the full package to secure you completely. Otherwise, it’s just going to be a waste of time and money.
Let’s take a look at what IPVanish has to offer:
Its encryption
IPVanish keeps you safe using the strongest military-grade encryption standard; 256-bit AES encryption. It uses SHA512 authentication on DHE-RSA 2048 key exchange and supports perfect forward secrecy. This is the best kind of encryption needed for privacy and security over the internet, especially since your ISP is constantly checking out your digital footprints. That’s supposed to be private!
Protocols
Other than encryption, the VPN protocols are the second most important feature to look into. The speed and dependability of a VPN performance rely on it. If you open up the IPVanish app, you’ll find a whole variety of protocol choices/switches. IPVanish offers a choice of:
- OpenVPN (Windows, macOS, Android, Firestick)
- IPsec (macOS, iOS)
- IKEv2 (Windows, macOS, iOS)
- L2TP (Windows, macOS)
- PPTP (Windows)
- SSTP (Windows)
- SOCKS5 proxy.
It even has a choice of ports on the Windows and Android apps. With OpenVPN port (1194 and 443) for Windows and (1194, 8443, and 443) for Android.
Another point to note is that most iOS VPN apps don’t come with OpenVPN choices. But not to worry, IPVanish has provided the second strongest to use, which is IKEv2.
The SOCKS5 proxy
So, what’s the SOCKS5 proxy protocol? IPVanish offers an optional proxy for you to use, just in case there is no VPN app available for your device, or if you just don’t feel like utilizing the entire VPN.
The SOCKS5 proxy comes with faster speed and unblocking abilities but there’s always a downside to things. You’ll probably have to compromise on your security and privacy.
The SOCKS5 protocol proxy doesn’t have the same military-grade encryption as the entire VPN app comes with. So, you can stream as much as you want, but there are chances of you getting caught in the mix.
Hackers, your ISP, or the government can spy on your activities. All-in-all, if you have to use the IPVanish SOCKS5, make sure you do it with caution.
The Kill Switch
When you choose a VPN, for no matter what reason, always look to see if the Windows or Android apps come with a Kill Switch feature. The reason I didn’t mention iOS is that just like the OpenVPN protocol, most providers don’t offer a Kill Switch feature for it as well.
IPVanish offers a Kill Switch for the Windows, Android, and macOS apps. This feature switches off your internet access if ever the VPN connection drops. It’s important to continue to preserve your anonymity even after disconnection to the VPN.
The Scramble OpenVPN traffic feature
IPVanish seems to include a variety of unique features in its apps in comparison to other VPN providers. Among these is the Scramble OpenVPN traffic feature. You’ll find this option on the apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and Fire Stick/TV devices. It acts like an obfuscated tool of a VPN for anonymous browsing.
This feature allows you to hide, anonymize, or scramble all your OpenVPN traffic. As secure as it is, some countries pick up on the various OpenVPN traffic; ultimately cutting the VPN connection. You can use this Scramble feature when trying to bypass the strongest Geo-restrictions.
Split-Tunneling
This feature is only found on the IPVanish Android app. It’ll allow you to control all the traffic that you wish to pass through the VPN connection and which ones to omit.
Leak protection
IPVanish uses DNS and IP leak protection technologies, making sure that your physical IP address is never revealed. I conducted a few tests on the IPVanish DNS, IP, and webRTC leaks, which you’ll see below.
Invisibility – Is IPVanish DNS, IPv6, and webRTC leak-free?
After conducting a few tests, I can say that yes, IPVanish is leak-free! To invest in any VPN service, you need to run extensive tests to see if it’s working.
A big part of the IPVanish security other than it using AES 256-bit encryption on OpenVPN protocol, its privacy, unblocking abilities, and other features; include its leak protection capabilities.
If you’re trying to access a US website from a country with high surveillance laws, for instance, China or Russia, how would you call it a successful run if your physical location eventually leaks out?
I re-tested the IPVanish app and pulled out new results in comparison to last year’s test. Even though IPVanish was leak-free, the app constantly updates over time, you have to pull out new results for a better review.
So, I connected to a US server and ran tests for:
IP leak test; test conducted on ipleak.org. The results are leak-free!
DNS leak test; test conducted on dnsleak.com. The results are leak-free!
WebRTC leak test; test conducted on browserleaks.com. The results are leak-free!
All three of the leak tests rendered satisfactory results! The reason why I used a US server address, was mainly because most VPN users opt for a VPN to unblock streaming services in America. It’s to get precise results of what the future private streaming access will look like. Always do a leak test on the server address you require to unblock a particular service.
And speaking of streaming, let’s move on to that now.
Streaming – Can IPVanish unblock Netflix and more, globally?
Yes, it can.
IPVanish, by the popular vote cast by multiple user experience reviews, is said to be one of the best VPN services for streaming on geo-blocked services. A few of the toughest platforms to gain access to, especially within a Geo-censored location, is Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hotstar, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime. If IPVanish manages to unblock all these, it’ll unblock much more.
But of course, run your tests!
I managed to unblock all these services and more after trying out a few servers. To unblock Netflix with IPVanish, I used the US servers (Dallas and Chicago). The speeds were pretty steady and no buffering. To be honest, I was quite impressed with the number of apps, channels, and websites that IPVanish managed to unblock in comparison to other VPNs.
Is IPVanish compatible with Kodi?
Yes, IPVanish is one of the best Kodi VPNs in the industry!
Kodi is one of the more famous open-source streaming software. However, I can say from experience that most channels aren’t readily available because of…well, Geo-blocks.
However, as I mentioned that through detailed testing you’ll find every titbit detail you’re looking for. Turns out that you can download the IPVanish APK file on Android-based devices. IPVanish worked great on my Firestick.
Is IPVanish good for Torrenting?
Yes, it is!
There are strict copyright laws against illegal torrenting or the downloading of unauthorized material. Some countries allow it while others frown upon it. Topvpnservice nor I condone illegal torrenting activities. I’m here to inform you that if you’re going to do it anyway, please be safe about it?
IPVanish has P2P compatible servers; adding security along the way, but that doesn’t mean abusing the powers given to you. Always use a VPN wisely and torrent safely.
However, looking at all that IPVanish has managed to provide access to in this review, what good is it if the speeds are not up to mark? Let’s test that out now, shall we?
Speed – Does IPVanish provide good speeds?
Yes, it does. However, the test results always change according to which country you live in, what server you connected to, and how slow your local connection speeds are.
IPVanish has managed to deliver some reasonably good speeds in the past, but let’s see if they’re any different now. I conducted the tests on Ookla’s speedtest.net.
So, first I started by noting the speed results of my local connection without the VPN. They were:
- Then I connected to an IPVanish US server. The results were 17Mbps for download and 16Mbps for Upload.
- The second server I connected to, was a UK one. The results were slightly lower than the US, but not much of a drop as compared to my local speed. I got a 15Mbps on Download and a 19Mbps on the Upload.
In general, there are no differences between the download and upload speed when connected to a VPN. However, the variation does depend on several factors such as your internet plan, your network adapter, and the server location you choose to be connected to.
Remember that a VPN server that is the closest to your current location, will give you the highest speed and optimal performance.
So, to have the best speed results you also have to have proper connection speed, period. A VPN doesn’t increase speed but stabilizes it. Without a connection to a VPN, your ISP is most likely throttling with your speeds.
All-in-all, depending on your connection speeds, IPVanish is pretty good for streaming and gaming.
Compatibility – IPVanish device support
The competency of a VPN also depends on the devices or operating systems it’s compatible with and how user-friendly the apps are for them.
Luckily, IPVanish is compatible with all the major platforms and OS. Some of them include:
- Windows
- Android
- iOS
- Windows Phone
- Chromebook
- Nvidia Shield
- macOS
- Linux
- Roku
- Fire TV
- Routers
- Router Firmware (DD-WRT v2/v3, Tomato, Asus-WRT, and Merlin)
From 10 simultaneous devices to UNLIMITED connections
There’s been a major update to the IPVanish app. This provider used to allow up to only 10 device connections. However, they revised their device license agreement, updating it to unlimited device connections! This makes it far more superior when compared to other VPNs’ multiple device support.
Reliability – How much can you trust IPVanish?
Now, that we’ve come towards the end of my IPVanish review, I can go through solid points regarding the main question which is seen even in the title “Is IPVanish secure?”
The safety of a VPN doesn’t only depend on its jurisdiction, but also depends on the kind of policies it abides by.
So far, from everything I’ve gathered in this IPVanish review, combining the test and performance results, the final verdict depends on how safe this VPN is.
So, let’s first take a look at:
The IPVanish no-logs policy
Back in 2016, we know the IPVanish went through a slip in its policies, uncovering to the public that some data logs were stored. This issue was then addressed in 2017. However, as I’ve mentioned before, there’ll always be continuous updates so always check the absolute latest to know what you’re getting into.
Regarding the IPVanish new and updated no-logs policy, here’s what they had to say about it:
Other than this, if you scroll further down in the policy section, you’ll find a tab regarding the information that IPVanish collects. It says:
So, IPVanish is good to go! However, I hope that IPVanish goes through an external audit, double assuring its customers of their reliability as a VPN.
What about the IPVanish 24/7 help chat?
Another sub-part that shows you how reliable IPVanish is, is to review its customer support. IPVanish comes with a 24/7 support chat. They normally reply in a few seconds. Even if you can’t get through to one of the agents, you can use their email system or the support center. There are several updated and pre answered questions that should be helpful.
To conclude – Do I recommend IPVanish in 2023?
Yes, I do.
IPVanish is still one of the strongest VPNs in the industry. In this IPVanish review we’ve gone through its sound security, great speeds depending on your local connection speed, and privacy over the internet.
The IPVanish subscription comes at the best price of $4.16/mo. for the yearly package plus it allows unlimited simultaneous device connections, which is extremely convenient. IPVanish unblocked Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more.
Overall, IPVanish makes a sound app and an even better VPN app for Firestick. It also gets you a limited but free SugarSync account which is pretty good for the rate. If you’re still indecisive, just go for the 30-day refund!
IPVanish is one of the more affordable VPNs. To keep up with its regular discounts, check out our VPN deals page.
