Ipvanish Vpn Review: Why It Earned A Spot In My Favorites List

June Wan/ZDNET

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• IPVanish secures an unlimited number of devices for $52.56 for nan first 2 years, aliases $2.19 per month.
• The supplier has strengthened its information and privateness protection policies. In addition, nan servers now present turbocharged speeds successful North America and worldwide.
• Key concerns for immoderate users are that nan supplier based successful nan U.S., nan work renews expensively. It besides doesn't connection a dedicated VPN browser extension 

(Editor's note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, ZDNET's genitor company. For more, spot our Editorial Guidelines.)

IPVanish is building a beardown lawsuit for why it's 1 of nan champion VPNs. The supplier has expanded its points of beingness to 113 countries. It's besides repositioned immoderate of its information centers, aliases postulation speech points, to amended relationship speeds globally. Plus, iOS and macOS users tin now usage divided tunneling connected IPVanish, thing that's still missing from astir VPN apps. The caller privateness policies will formed retired immoderate doubts if you were a non-believer. 

Also: The champion VPN services: Expert tested

Many of nan cardinal features stay unchanged, specified arsenic nan number of devices you tin link simultaneously -- it's still unlimited. The streaming is moreover amended -- location wasn't immoderate video buffering, moreover connected server locations thousands of miles away. You tin take a VPN-only tier that is affordable if you acquisition nan yearly plans. Be warned that renewal prices are a spot hefty. I'll fto you successful connected nan caller developments pinch IPVanish, positive much hands-on experiences pinch nan app connected phone, PC, and smart TV.

I sewage accelerated speeds, not acold from my normal net connections 

I antecedently remarked connected IPVanish's swift speeds, but my latest tests show that it's warming up to nan fastest VPNs. I sometimes sewage 94% bandwidth velocity retention connected prime adjacent servers and could watercourse UHD value connected Hisense TV without lags. On an mean accelerated net connection, you tin time off nan app moving successful nan inheritance while browsing aliases moreover gaming, and you won't announcement nan difference. Latency was besides amended connected U.K. and U.S.-based servers for illustration Manchester, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City, each pinch ping convenient for gaming astatine little than 150ms.

I conducted velocity tests successful respective locations pinch nan Speedtest by Ookla online instrumentality (editor's note: Ookla is owned by ZDNET's genitor company, Ziff Davis) while utilizing IPVanish. I switched betwixt different servers and protocols and recorded nan effect connected speeds. I besides took readings during highest and off-peak usage times based connected North American clip zones to spot if nan VPN was impacted by server congestion issues. I grouped nan server locations into regions and compared mean velocity readings pinch and without a VPN.

The U.S. and Canadian servers had amended mean speeds than different regions. IPVanish devotes a batch of its infrastructure to nan North American market. Over 40% of nan servers are successful nan U.S. unsocial to easiness precocious usage traffic. This makes IPVanish a awesome U.S. VPN choice, whether you're wrong aliases extracurricular nan country. The WireGuard protocol gave nan fastest speeds, though OpenVPN was astir beneficial for geo-restrictions because I could besides usage nan Scramble characteristic to debar VPN detection.

As pinch immoderate VPN, you should still expect flimsy drops from your normal net speeds pinch IPVanish. The package encrypts and tunnels information via backstage servers concurrently. This is why adjacent server locations pinch minimal load are preferable -- net postulation travels a shorter distance. Server locations extracurricular of my continent had 20-35% slower speeds, but I had nary problem arsenic agelong arsenic my connections stayed good supra 100Mbps. 

More futuristic features added to springiness IPVanish a awesome information boost

IPVanish's information is good customized for personal, home, aliases moreover business networks. Using 1 of nan champion cryptographic algorithms, AES 256-bit encryption, nan package offers beardown information confidentiality for each your connections to nan web and untrusted nationalist hotspots. There are already talks astir post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to future-proof VPNs against quantum computers. I dream that IPVanish plans to beryllium among nan early adopters for illustration ExpressVPN. 

The app uses trustworthy open-source tunneling protocols for illustration WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), and IKEv2/IPSec. All of them tin beryllium accessed connected nan Apple, Android, and Windows apps. Many VPNs don't connection IKEv2/IPSec connected iOS, which is simply a limitation fixed that it performs really good connected mobile devices. Still, WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols are besides well-balanced successful position of velocity and security-wise crossed platforms. If unsure, you tin prime nan Automatic Protocol mounting for nan app to prime nan optimal 1 depending connected your location aliases web type.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

While exploring IPVanish features, I besides took statement of nan precocious exertion to avert information leaks. All nan servers usage backstage domain sanction work (DNS) routing by default, which keeps your web queries and searches hidden moreover from your net work provider. Also, nan package provides some IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection. This is awesome because galore applications and systems coming way IPv6 addresses, and astir VPNs don't do thing astir it.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

The termination move mounting utilized to beryllium connected by default, making it difficult for immoderate first-time VPN users to understand why they couldn't entree nan net without nan VPN. In nan caller version, you tin move nan characteristic connected and disconnected manually from nan app's location screen. A termination move is captious successful preventing vulnerability of your net protocol (IP) reside if nan VPN relationship drops suddenly, aliases if you hide to move connected nan VPN aft rebooting your device. IPVanish's termination move is 1 of a benignant because it's besides disposable connected nan Fire TV and Android TV apps.

Keeping successful mind that a VPN unsocial can't protect you from each threats. IPVanish offers different features to minimize risks extracurricular of VPN tunneling:

• Threat Protection. Developed by nan award-winning VIPRE Internet Security firm, this ad, malware, and search artifact instrumentality tin actively select vulnerable contented and ads you unknowingly interact pinch online.

• QR codification and nexus checker. These 2 caller additions usage precocious AI algorithms to observe and artifact unsafe scan codes and shared links earlier they nonstop you to unsafe pages aliases downloads. 

• Secure Browser. This is an in-app browser that enables you to interact pinch contented and services online without downloading thing to section storage. Everything happens successful a sandbox successful nan cloud, and each information is deleted aft each session. It greatly reduces nan chances of picking up viruses aliases malware, moreover if you unfastened infected content. The browser is besides disposable arsenic an hold connected conscionable astir each different browser -- Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi. You will request nan Advanced scheme to beryllium capable to usage it.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Honestly, nan app is truthful overwhelming successful settings that it's intolerable to screen everything, but you'll want to cognize astir these information features: 

Double Hop VPN

You tin get multi-layered encryption by tunneling postulation done 2 different server locations earlier reaching nan destination. This mounting is successful nan "Locations" conception of nan app, and it allows you to take introduction and exit servers for your connections. As expected, it resulted successful slower speeds than regular tunnels, but that's a discuss to make if you're extra-cautious.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

RAM-only servers

These are temporary retention servers that reboot very often and will, successful nan process, swipe retired each personification convention data. It ensures nary accusation is near down that tin beryllium accessed by anyone successful nan future. Currently, these servers are disposable connected nan iOS and macOS apps, and whitethorn soon beryllium added to Android and Windows.

Split tunneling 

Thankfully, IPVanish now offers divided tunneling connected Windows, Android, Fire TV, iOS, macOS, and Apple Vision Pro. Not moreover ExpressVPN aliases NordVPN has reached this milestone pinch its Apple devices. You tin prime applications and domains to link safely done nan VPN, while others entree nan web straight pinch faster speeds.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Customized web security

You tin group really nan VPN connects to different networks, for example, automatic connections connected untrusted networks. It's besides straightforward to adhd trusted networks that you want to usage freely without nan VPN interfering.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Based successful nan U.S. jurisdiction, but you person little to interest about, considering their transparency

Some group wouldn't touch a VPN that's based successful nan U.S., and that's okay. The state has strict information retention expectations for companies to meet and shares intelligence pinch different countries of nan 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. IPVanish takes this interest earnestly and has tightened its information handling policies to gain nan nationalist trust. They now people aggregate transparency reports per year, showing each information requests they've received successful each quarter.

I went done nan trust halfway reports and saw that nan supplier gets dozens of requests from rule enforcement and civilian organizations arsenic good arsenic thousands of DMCA requests. To date, it hasn't handed complete immoderate data. They're effortlessly maintaining a genuinely zero-logs policy, truthful users don't person anxieties astir their backstage accusation being collected by nan app. IPVanish is besides having yearly third-party audits, nan astir caller 1 successful February 2025 by Schellman Compliance, LLC. This is different beardown assurance that nan no-logs argumentation is applied crossed their operations.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Moreover, IPVanish has minimized information postulation astatine nan constituent of relationship creation. You tin usage nan mobile app without signing up simply by purchasing 1 of nan plans. We could reason that you're still leaving information collected by nan costs gateway, but it's importantly less. Desktop and web signups still require an email, but users aren't asked for afloat names aliases addresses. All personification relationship data, including email addresses, is removed aliases anonymized wrong forty-five days of acquisition cancelation aliases relationship inactivity.

An expansive server infrastructure for accessing geo-blocked services

IPVanish's web has importantly improved to complete 3,100 servers crossed 113 countries and 148 cities. This sum is somewhat much than ExpressVPN, but still little than NordVPN aliases Proton VPN. The work boasts complete 40,000 IP addresses connected rotation, making it little apt that you'll stock nan aforesaid IP reside pinch respective different users.

Managing servers and connections connected nan IPVanish app is simply a batch easier. It displays each servers disposable successful a peculiar location, and you tin take based connected nan server load metrics. You tin moreover prevention nan best-performing ones. Connections were fantabulous successful astir locations. I intimately monitored for unexpected disconnections, arsenic was nan lawsuit antecedently pinch immoderate servers, but it appears nan insignificant outage issues I knowledgeable earlier person been fixed. Even switching server locations was seamless, taking astir six seconds.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

IPVanish doesn't connection dedicated IP addresses. In lawsuit you whitethorn for illustration an exclusive, non-changing IP reside complete nan move shared ones. There are besides nary specialized servers for activities for illustration streaming, torrenting, aliases gaming. The supplier says you tin usage nan regular servers for almost everything. It's thing to mull over, but I sometimes for illustration intelligibly branded servers to debar wasting clip searching manually.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Can you usage IPVanish for streaming, gaming, aliases torrenting?

I tested IPVanish pinch galore streaming services, and it worked astir of nan time. I could instantly unfastened immoderate exclusive Netflix libraries connected nan first try. I tried nan New York, Miami, Seattle, and Los Angeles servers, and they each worked pinch Netflix. I besides sewage affirmative results pinch astir of nan European and Asia-Pacific servers, including Japan, wherever I'm ever looking for breathtaking anime bid to binge-watch complete nan holidays.

IPVanish besides accessed platforms for illustration Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Max, ESPN+, and DAZN without issue. The relationship speeds are perfect for 4K streaming, arsenic well. I didn't acquisition immoderate buffering whatsoever. If you're specifically willing successful streaming pinch a VPN, we've besides curated immoderate of the champion VPNs for streaming.

For gaming enthusiasts, IPVanish makes it easy to find low-ping servers successful immoderate location. The server database shows each disposable servers successful immoderate location alongside different metrics for illustration latency.

All IPVanish servers support safe torrenting. Aside from nan information features successful spot to unafraid your connections and activities, nan VPN's SOCKS5 proxy servers tin beryllium configured pinch peer-to-peer (P2P) clients for illustration qBittorrent, Vuze, aliases Deluge for optimal torrenting performance. IPVanish uses NAT firewall exertion that restricts nonstop device-to-device communications via larboard forwarding, but you tin still guardant postulation connected a router utilizing unfastened TCP aliases UDP ports for illustration 443, 8443, aliases 1194.

One IPVanish relationship is capable for each your devices astatine an affordable price

With a azygous IPVanish subscription, you tin unafraid an unlimited number of devices. This is great, considering that astir VPNs person a limit of 10 aliases less connections. IPVanish is cleanable if you request protection for your full family aliases business devices.

There are yearly and monthly tier plans. Essential is simply a "VPN-only" scheme that is besides nan cheapest successful nan agelong run. It costs $52.56 for nan first 2 years, adjacent to $2.19 per month, and $40 for 1 year, adjacent to $3.33 per month. The Advanced scheme offers further features for illustration 1TB unreality storage, record syncing crossed devices, and nan Secure Browser pinch built-in VPN. This tier costs $78.96 successful nan first 2 years, adjacent to $3.29 per month, and $53.88 for a year, adjacent to $4.49 per month. Both plans are besides disposable astatine monthly subscription rates of $13 per period and $15 per month, respectively.

The supra prices are discounted offers for caller subscribers, but renewals costs more. You tin cheque nan magnitude owed successful nan adjacent billing play from your relationship dashboard, but nan charismatic renewal rates are $90 and $180 for nan 1 and two-year Essential tiers, respectively, aliases astir $7.50 per period for both. I see this somewhat expensive, but premium options for illustration ExpressVPN and NordVPN don't renew cheaply either.

IPVanish offers a 30-day money-back guarantee connected nan yearly plans. One-month subscriptions do not suffice for a refund, arsenic is nan lawsuit pinch astir providers. Also, a seven-day free proceedings is disposable to Android and iOS users if you download nan app from Apple's App Store aliases nan Google Play Store. Again, you must take 1 of nan yearly tiers to get nan trial.

Compatible devices and nan personification experience

You tin instal and usage IPVanish connected Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, Android and iOS devices including tablets, routers, smart TVs for illustration a Fire TV, Apple TV, and media streaming boxes for illustration a Chromecast, and Nvidia Shield. I initially thought location would beryllium a VPN hold for Chrome, Firefox, aliases Edge, but alternatively they only connection nan Secure Browser extension, which requires nan Advanced tier.

IPVanish has a autochthonal app for ARM64 Copilot+ Windows PCs, being among nan first services to do so. There are besides OpenVPN and WireGuard configurations, which you tin download straight from your relationship online and past instal manually connected a router aliases connected Linux via nan terminal.

I recovered it very straightforward to motion up for nan service. After choosing a scheme connected nan website and paying, a setup nexus was sent to my email address. I installed nan app and connected to a unafraid server successful nether 5 minutes. Thanks to nan intuitive design, you hardly request assistance utilizing nan app. Still, customer support is wrong scope 24/7 via chat, email, and telephone during moving hours.

ZDNET's buying advice

Aside from being nan cheaper one, nan revamped IPVanish is simply a sound replacement to NordVPN aliases ExpressVPN. I person thing but praise based connected really overmuch it surpassed my expectations successful nan latest speed, security, and privateness protection tests. It's a matter of clip earlier this becomes different favourite streaming VPN for galore acknowledgment to nan increasing server web and geo-bypassing capabilities. There's besides a awesome worth connection if you see that nan VPN allows for unlimited connections pinch 1 account.