IPVanish VPN 2024 Review: 3 Cons and 5 Pros

by Vít Nováček
updated January 1, 2024 (Report a bug)

1. IPVanish VPN Can Mask VPN Connections

   • Average ping (148 ms)
   • Higher subscription price compared to the best VPNs
   • Does not support blocking ads, malware and trackers

   • With one subscription, you can protect 999 devices simultaneously
   • Good download (109 Mb/s) and upload (89 Mb/s)
   • Independent audit of zero log storage
   • Scramble feature prevents detection of active VPN protection
   • Discount for students

   The IPVanish VPN is operated by the US company Ziff Davis, Inc. whose stable also includes the StrongVPN and Vipre Internet Shield VPN services. The IPVanish VPN is well suited for unblocking streaming video, for example, and received an overall score of 7.8/10 in our test. This puts it in 18th place among 90reviewed VPNs.

   It loses points in the overall IPVanish VPN rating due to a worse ratio of subscription price ($2.49 per month) to features offered. The response speed is also noticeably worse, while IPVanish VPN averaged 148 ms, the Surfshark offered at a comparable price only reached 10 ms.

   The IPVanish VPN also lacks direct support for use on smart TVs or game consoles. Among the extra features, IPVanish VPN does not support blocking advertising, malicious malware and trackers.

   Among IPVanish VPN‘s strengths is its ability to unblock video from streaming platforms; in our experiment, it unblocked all foreign libraries, including Netflix and Disney Plus. Additionally, the very good download 109 Mb/s and upload 89 Mb/s speeds allow you to play ultra-high definition 4K video.

   In addition, the available scramble feature can mask activated VPN protection from, for example, streaming platform operators. Some of them try to block access to users with VPNs. Transmitted data IPVanish VPN is protected by 256-bit encryption, and users have a choice of protocols including modern OpenVPN and WireGuard solutions.

2. IPVanish VPN Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price: $10.99​77% off  $2.49 /mo (999 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: No
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     No

     Bitcoin :No
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   

   7.8

   ★★★☆

   The service can prevent the detection of active VPN protection and successfully passed a no-logging audit. It unblocked streaming platforms in tests.

   $2.49 /mo  ​30-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 77% cheaper

   Subscriptions IPVanish VPN are available in monthly billing and one- or two-year prepaid options. The least convenient option is the monthly-payment option $10.99. On the other hand, the most advantageous is the two-year subscription, the price per month is $2.49.

   The features and parameters of the service are identical for all subscription options, the only difference is the price. It is slightly above average compared to other VPNs, and competing solutions often offer more features. The advantage is the ability to use IPVanish VPN on 999 devices simultaneously.

   Annual and two-year subscriptions are subject to a money-back guarantee of 30 days. Refunds can be requested through technical support, no reason for cancellation is required. Refunds will usually be made within 3 days of the request.

   In the first step of the order, the subscription option is selected, in the second step you need to enter the email address where the user account will be created. A password for the account is also entered, which must be strong enough. Debit and credit cards or PayPal, Google Pay and Amazon Pay can be used to pay for the subscription. Payment via cryptocurrencies is not possible with IPVanish VPN.

   The free variant IPVanish VPN, for example, with limited features, is not available. The trial version IPVanish VPN also does not exist.

   It is one of the few services to offer a student discount.

3. IPVanish VPN and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: Unlimited

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     No

     Android TV is supported by 36 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     Yes

     Fire TV is supported by 43 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     Yes

     Chromebook is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 61 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 24 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 14 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     Yes

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     Yes

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 21 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     Yes

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 34 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     Yes

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     Yes

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.

   With one subscription, IPVanish VPN can be used on 999 devices simultaneously.

   The IPVanish VPN app is directly available for Windows, macOS and Linux computers and for Android and iOS mobile devices.

   The IPVanish VPN app supports use on Fire TV smart TVs and Chromebook devices. Separate apps for other smart TVs, game consoles or alternative Raspberry Pi devices are not available.

   The advantage of IPVanish VPN is that it supports router traffic, which makes it easy to secure all devices connected to the same network, including the aforementioned game consoles and smart TVs. Instructions for setting up the router are available at IPVanish VPN.

   Browser extensions IPVanish VPN are available for Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Brave and Vivaldi.

4. IPVanish VPN App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +7 more🇩🇪 German 🇪🇸 Spanish 🇫🇷 French 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇮🇹 Italian 🇵🇱 Polish 🇳🇱 Dutch
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   Installation of the mobile and desktop app is easy even for less experienced users. While the mobile version is available in app stores, the desktop version is freely downloadable on the web IPVanish VPN. In case of complications, tutorials for each operating system are available.

   The IPVanish VPN can be used in 8 different languages, including English. A pleasing feature is the possibility to choose between light and dark appearance of the application, it can be selected automatically according to the operating system settings.

   The application environment IPVanish VPN is clear and therefore user-friendly. Short explanations are shown for all functions to facilitate their use. Both the mobile and desktop versions feature a map indicating the location of each server. After launching the app, a splash screen is always displayed with an icon to connect to the server. At the top of the screen (at the bottom on mobile), a bar with the rest of the controls is available.

   The advantage is the extended configuration options, including many details. A complete overview, including tutorials, is available at IPVanish VPN. The support center and user account management are located at the same location.

   One of the useful features of IPVanish VPN is whitelist, which allows you to create a list of apps and websites that will connect directly to the Internet even when the VPN is activated.

   You can also use Auto-connect, which ensures that the VPN is automatically activated when connected to an unsecured wi-fi network. It is recommended to reboot the device first after enabling the feature.

   The icon on the main window is used to manually connect to the server, or the Fastest Available function is used to automatically select the fastest server at that moment. Alternatively, the connection location can be selected manually from a list in which they are sorted alphabetically by country or city. For each available location, the current response values are displayed. By clicking on the star icon, the server can be saved as a favourite and accessed faster next time.

   After a successful connection to the server, the IP address, connection time and data usage graph are displayed.

5. IPVanish VPN Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 115 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 81 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 48 ms.

   IPVanish VPN does not limit the user in the amount of data transferred, which is standard among paid VPNs.

   Connection times to the server during testing were within a few seconds, which is standard among VPNs. When we selected the automatic Fastest Available server option, the connection was slightly faster. The measured transfer speeds were very good.

   Download speeds for IPVanish VPN were average for 109 Mb/s, which is sufficient for downloading bulky files and watching 4K video.

   The average measured upload speed 89 Mb/s is equally sufficient for uploading large files to the Internet.

   Of the parameters monitored, the response time was the worst, averaging 148 ms despite repeated tests. Such a response can cause annoying stuttering during video calls or when playing computer games, with the best VPNs in the rankings such as Surfshark achieving values around 10 ms. For response speeds as opposed to transfer rates, lower is better.

6. IPVanish VPN Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     2,200

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1699.
   • Number of countries:
     51

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇦🇱 Albania 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇪 Peru
   Asia	🇮🇳 India 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇹🇼 Taiwan
   Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia

   Users of IPVanish VPN can connect to 2,200 various servers in 51 countries around the world. Compared to competing services, these are above average values.

   Most IPVanish VPN servers are traditionally located in Europe, but at least one server is available on every continent. Among the available countries are the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and South Africa, with Albania, Iceland, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Peru and Serbia among the less common ones. Of the countries where government censorship occurs, IPVanish VPN has servers in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

   It does not have servers specifically optimized for torrenting or streaming, for example, but all features are available in all locations.

7. IPVanish VPN Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 87% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     Yes

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 19 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   The primary security feature of IPVanish VPN is DNS protection, which worked reliably during our testing.

   The IPVanish VPN application has an important kill switch feature that also worked correctly. The kill switch prevents possible leakage of a user’s IP address or location by immediately disconnecting the device from the Internet if it loses connection to the VPN server. This is a standard feature of most VPN services.

   The IPVanish VPN protects all transmitted data with 256-bit AES encryption, which is considered one of the strongest on the market. It is used, among other things, in the military or for securing banking systems.

   In the application settings, you can choose between the modern WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, which complement the older L2TP, IKEv2 and IPSEC solutions. The range of protocols can be considered good, although some competing VPNs (such as AdGuard VPN) are developing their own protocols that may be more secure in some respects.

   An advantage of IPVanish VPN is its support for multi-hop functionality, for which some providers use the name Double VPN. Its working principle is to connect through two different VPN servers at the same time, which increases the level of privacy.

   Support for Tor traffic is absent with IPVanish VPN.

8. IPVanish VPN & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 49 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 67 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 97 % of reviewed VPNs

   IPVanish VPN is well used for the purpose of unblocking foreign streaming platform libraries. In our test, it handled video from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Hulu.

   We were able to unblock streams from some platforms immediately, while others were a more complicated process. Streaming platforms try to detect and block VPN connections. In such cases, we recommend disconnecting and reconnecting from the server, which will change the IP address to another one that may no longer be on the block list.

   On average, the achieved download speed 109 Mb/s allows 4K video playback. For this, a speed of at least 50 Mbps is generally stated as necessary.

   Before ordering IPVanish VPN, we still recommend reading the reviews of NordVPN and CyberGhost VPN, which offer excellent support for all streaming platforms, excellent security and connection speeds sufficient for 4K video.

9. Features of IPVanish VPN: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 44 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 38 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   IPVanish VPN doesn’t offer many extra features. For example, the application lacks the relatively common blocking of advertising, malware and trackers.

   The mobile app IPVanish VPN can use split tunneling, for which it creates a list of apps that will connect directly to the Internet even when the VPN is activated.

   An interesting feature is Scramble, which can camouflage VPN connections from, for example, streaming platform operators. For them, it is more difficult to detect activated VPN protection and block accesses from it. At the same time, the user has the option to reset the MTU size for mobile networks.

   Neither port forwarding nor static IP address forwarding is offered by the service, even at an additional cost.

10. IPVanish VPN‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    The IPVanish VPN puts a normal load on the device that is not out of line with the average VPN reviewed. The size of the desktop application IPVanish VPN is approximately 50 MB.

    Moreover, the load of the desktop application IPVanish VPN can be further reduced by simply disabling the most demanding features. In this respect, the application is quite friendly. The most demanding on system resources is Auto-connect, which keeps the IPVanish VPN application constantly running in the background. It can only be completely disabled via the system tray icon.

11. IPVanish VPN Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 89 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    IPVanish VPN is usable for torrenting purposes, although none of the servers are specifically optimized for this type of traffic.

    P2P transfers are enabled on all servers in use, and our measured download 109 Mb/s and upload 89 Mb/s speeds are sufficient for torrenting. Users are protected by 256-bit file encryption and a kill switch when P2P data sharing.

    The IPVanish VPN supports all major torrenting clients including bitTorrent, uTorrent and Vuze.

12. What is the country of origin of IPVanish VPN?

    • VPN Provider: Ziff Davis, Inc.
    • Country of origin: 🇺🇸 USA

    The operator of IPVanish VPN is Ziff Davis, Inc. a social networking, video gaming and internet security group. It has been in business since 1927, when it began as a publisher of technical magazines. The company is based in New York, USA, and launched its first VPN in 2012. In addition to IPVanish VPN, it also operates StrongVPN and Vipre Internet Shield VPN.

    There are a number of VPN services based in the US, this is not uncommon. Still, it’s worth noting that the US is a member of the 5 Eyes group of countries that monitor the activities of internet users. They can share the data they collect with each other in the event of a suspected security threat. Other member countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

    The IPVanish VPN does not store the data obtained by running a VPN. Yet it is subject to US law and is forced to comply with government authorities in the event of a legitimate request for data.

13. IPVanish VPN and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    IPVanish VPN has a policy of zero log storage. Thus, when using a VPN, information about data transferred, IP addresses, connection timestamps, and DNS requests are not stored. During testing, we verified that the built-in DNS protection works when no leaks occurred.

    Some types of data are still collected when using IPVanish VPN. This is information necessary for the proper functioning of the service and the user account, such as the email address, password, or payment method chosen.

    According to the privacy policy, IPVanish VPN also collects aggregated and anonymous data, which includes in particular application failure messages, device data or configuration data. The full list of stored data is published by IPVanish VPN on its website.

    The IPVanish VPN website uses cookies, which can be blocked in the browser settings.

    Although the amount of data stored is minimal, IPVanish VPN must release it in the event of a legitimate request from a public authority. For this reason, the user has the right to check the collected data via support and possibly have it deleted.

    The credibility of the zero log storage claim is supported by an independent audit by Leviathan Security Group. In addition, IPVanish VPN is included in Trustpilot’s user ratings, where it performs very well.

    Good levels of privacy are also helped by the multi-hop feature, which allows you to connect through two different VPN servers at the same time.

14. IPVanish VPN Support: Chat, e-mail…

    The easiest way to contact customer support is through the 24/7 live chat available in the mobile app and on the IPVanish VPN website. The chat can be used even without an existing user account.

    24/7 support is also available in the form of a contact form. Monday through Friday, IPVanish VPN support can also be contacted by phone.

    To help resolve issues even faster, a database of tutorials and FAQs is available at IPVanish VPN. The blog, where regular posts on Internet security are published, can also be helpful. The IPVanish VPN is also present on the social networks X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

15. IPVanish VPN FAQ

    Does IPVanish VPN work in China?

    No, IPVanish VPN cannot be used in China. The country tries to block VPN services as much as possible, so using them is complicated. For example, the competing Windscribe Pro has a satisfactory track record for use in China.

    Does IPVanish VPN sell sensitive data of its users?

    The privacy policy IPVanish VPN states that no stored data is sold or made available to third parties. The only exceptions are superior authorities such as the police, to whom the operator must comply in the event of a legitimate request. The IPVanish VPN partially prevents this by the zero log storage policy. What it doesn’t have, it can’t release.

    Can IPVanish VPN be obtained without a subscription?

    For example, IPVanish VPN does not offer a free version with limited features.

    After the free trial period expires, a relatively disadvantageous monthly subscription at $10.99 is automatically activated. If you just want to try IPVanish VPN, we recommend cancelling your subscription before the end of 30 days.