What is IPVanish?
IPVanish is a virtual private network whose goal is to make the World Wide Web a safer and more secure place for its customers. To do this, IPVanish allows P2P traffic as well as bit torrent traffic. Their servers offer cutting-edge features, including automatic IP address cycling.
IPVanish is based in the United States. However, they have hundreds of servers spread across 60 different countries. IPVanish is managed by the web service provider StackPath. They are very proud to announce the fact that they are running on their own hardware.
They also have their own infrastructure, cables, racks, etc.. This is something you only see with a top-notch VPN service.
With full disclosure, IPVanish uses some cloud service providers in various locations to complement their proprietary network.
IPVanish is not a company that focuses on substance. This is something you'll notice right away when you download their client. You'll see that they have a simple dashboard that's organized, but there aren't a lot of flashes.
In the center of the screen, you will see if you are logged in or not. Below, you'll see status updates, the server you're connected to, etc. The interface, like the service itself, is simple but allows users to complete the tasks they want.
Where are their servers located?
IPVanish has one of the most extensive server groups for a VPN on the planet. They have over 1,000 servers in over 60 countries. They offer their customers over 40,000 IPS. They have 426 servers in Europe, 523 in North America, 20 in Central and South America, 20 in Central and South America, 47 in Asia, 14 in Africa and the Middle East, and 65 in Oceania.
A large number of servers that IPVanish offers means that you are in a position to select the server you need based on what you want to accomplish. For example, if you are looking to access content that is geo-restricted in your physical location, then you can choose a server in a different country. If you are simply looking for a server for hide your IP address, you can choose a server near you. You will thus be able to hide your IP address while benefiting from a fast service.
IPVanish has strategically chosen the locations of its global servers. They have set up servers that allow anonymous torrenting. This is a plus because a lot of VPNs say they support P2P sharing, but they don't really do it. On IPVanish's servers, you can access any torrenting site anywhere on the planet.
Fast speed
I ran a few speed tests on IPVanish's servers and here's what I found (I'm using a 100Mbps internet connection in the EU).
American server (New York)
- Ping: 133ms
- Download: 34.71 Mbps
- Download: 24.72 Mbps
European server (Amsterdam)
- Ping: 38ms
- Download: 82.67 Mbps
- Download: 43.19 Mbps
Asia server (Hongkong)
- Ping: 341ms
- Download: 7.61 Mbps
- Download: 5.88 Mbps
British server (London)
- Ping: 56ms
- Download: 80.25 Mbps
- Download: 42.09 Mbps
IPVanish offers respectable download and upload speeds. When I connected from EU to EU, my speed was only reduced by 18%.
However, it is difficult to justify the cost of their service when comparing the American speeds they offer with those of other less expensive services.
For example, IPVanish's download speeds (on U.S.-based servers) were slower than those of NordVPN and SaferVPN, both of which cost less than $4 per month.
Application
The installation of the application was smooth (although, unfortunately, I had to restart my computer afterwards).
As soon as the software was launched, it became clear that IPVanish offers an intuitive and easy to use interface. They now also offer a kill switch for Windows and Mac users.
They make it easy for you to find everything you need and give you a plethora of settings and options to play with.
The only complaint I have with their interface is that they don't offer any instructions on setting up and using the SOCKS5 proxy from the account portal.
Although this is not a major problem and can easily be resolved by doing a quick Google search, the SOCKS5 proxy being a selling point. too Importantly, you might think that they simplify the setup process as much as possible.
Log logs
If you read the fine print of the privacy policies of many VPN services, you might be shocked to find that their”anonymous browsing experience“Announced is not that anonymous.
In fact, if you choose the wrong provider, your data and personal information could be stored on one of the company's internal servers and the privacy policy (which you accepted) gives them the right to use that data for any purpose they deem appropriate.
Unfortunately, we have mixed feelings about IPVanish's “no log tracking” policy.
They've made headlines in the past for recording and transmitting user data to Homeland Security, although they claim not to keep logs. This does not give users who use their service complete confidence in them. It happened in 2016, however. They have since been purchased by a new company, called StackPath, which promises comprehensive privacy and security assurance.
In their own words,
We have a strict policy against collecting connection and activity logs. We never store metadata about your VPN session or information about how you used the service.
So, although you're never truly anonymous online, IPVanish is one of the few VPNs that allows you to get as close to total anonymity as possible.
Strong Encryption (AES-256)
IPVanish relies on the same encryption protocol, AES-256, which is used by many of the world's leading security agencies and government organizations.
With the rapid increase in the number of brute-force cyberattacks, this is a huge advantage.
In December 2016, WordFence, a WordPress security plugin, noticed a dramatic increase in the number of brute-force attacks executed against WordPress websites (which power over 25% of the Internet).
In fact, things have So much Worse that at one point in time, there were over 30,000 unique attacking IP addresses per day!
While this statistic should serve as a warning to many website owners, it should not be a cause for alarm either.
By surfing the web with an AES-256 encrypted VPN (like IPVanish), your IP address and all of your personal data will be protected from hackers to the point where your data is virtually “Brute Force Proof.”
It also means you can bypass IP censorship used by schools, employers, and governments.
Download free SOCKS5 web proxy
Like most VPN providers, IPVanish allows users to access several different protocols, including the default OpenVPN protocol as well as PPTP and L2TP.
While OpenVPNs are generally the recommended protocol because they offer fast speeds that don't sacrifice privacy or security, they do have a downside.
The downside is that you need to download a client directly to your device in order to access the unique certificate needed to establish a secure connection.
Luckily, there is an alternative.
IPVanish gives its customers access to a special proxy server protocol known as SOCKS or Socket Security. This protocol allows you to benefit from the same advantages as a standard VPN. without have to download software on one of your devices.
That means you can hide your IP address, hide your personal information and enjoy faster performance, all without downloading any intrusive third-party tools.
While this is a great service for some customers (especially people looking to get around censorship laws or other IP-related restrictions), it's worth noting that speed and surfing without downloading come at a cost.
Namely your safety.
The reason a SOCKS proxy is capable of achieving faster speeds than a traditional VPN is that it doesn't use the same encryption standards.
In other words, it doesn't offer the same privacy and security protocols that keep hackers, cybercriminals, and governments from accessing your personal information.
While the proxy does an admirable job of hiding your location, it's not very effective at protecting your privacy and security.
Even though it's a “Pro” for IPVanish and certainly a unique protocol to offer, be careful and find out about the SOCKS proxy Before take advantage of this feature.
Torrenting
With IPVanish, not only is torrenting (P2P) allowed... but it's downright encouraged.
Unlike many VPN providers, IPVanish has no qualms about its customers using its service to”Torrent freely and privately.” “
Their carefree attitude to torrenting might irritate some anti-piracy advocates, but for the average VPN user, this feature is a major plus.
Ten device connection limit
One of my favorite “features” of IPVanish is that they allow you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.
Most VPN services, including premium companies like ExpressVPN, limit your simultaneous connections to 3 devices. This may not seem like a big deal for some of you, however, for those of you who have family members or spouses, buying a second license can be a huge frustration and an unwanted expense.
However, with IPVanish's generous 10-device limit, you, your spouse, and even your kids can browse safely... All at the same time.
Some servers unblock Netflix
IPVanish does not indicate specifically on his site whether he works with Netflix or not.
In recent years, most VPN providers have started to avoid official statements, as the video streaming giant now uses one of the most sophisticated VPN detection systems to date.
But regardless of their official position, we test them anyway.
We connect to servers in different countries, turn on Netflix, and try to stream something. Nonsense!
The results didn't start well with IPVanish:
The first three servers we tried didn'tDon't have worked:
- canada
- uk
- netherlands
However, the fourth time was the right one!
We connected to an American server in Chicago and were able to bypass detection.
- United States: Chicago
The only problem was that the server was a bit slow.
TOR compatibility
TOR or The Orion Network is a network that encrypts and relays information about your traffic across multiple servers, making it difficult (read: impossible) to locate you in real time.
For those of you who need serious security measures to combat government surveillance or censorship laws, TOR allows you to create a second layer of security with an existing VPN in order to maximize your privacy and ensure that your location and identity remain private.
For most users, that's not a problem. However, for customers living in more draconian countries like China or North Korea, this added layer of security can literally mean the difference between life and death. However, when we went to China to test VPNs, we found that IPVanish didn't really work there.
IPVanish also offers TOR compatibility.
Pricing
One of the great things about IPVanish is that it does not dilute its services by offering traditional “Multi-Level Packages.”
There is no “IPVanish Bronze” or “IPVanish Platinum.” Instead, every customer gets exactly the same service, the only difference being the length of time he has access to that service.
Monthly: 7.50
As I have never seen them offer their services at 11.99 dollars per month, I am going to put the announcement of”17% savings per month“on the account of clever marketing and to say that this plan is the equivalent of.. :
- $7.50 per month
- $90 per year
- 0% savings
However, I saw that they offered this monthly service for $10 per month. It's good to see that they're offering this 25% discount off their old price. We hope it stays in place.
3 Months: $20.24
Unlike most VPN providers (and to our surprise), IPVanish Don't proposes steps the traditional 6-month pricing option.
Instead, they offer a 3-month quarterly rate plan billed four times per year at $20.24.
It boils down to:
- $6.75 per month
- $81 per year
- 44% savings
12 months: $58.49
Most VPN providers spread their costs, which means the longer you commit to a longer period of time, the lower the monthly price. Anyone looking for the Better A possible offer on IPVanish should opt for a one-year commitment.
At just $58.49, the plan is equivalent to.. :
- $4.87 per month
- $58.49 per year
- 60% savings
IPVanish also offers a 7-day money back guarantee on all plans and allows you to pay with just about any method you want (including credit card, PayPal, and even bitcoin for anonymous payments).
While these prices are nowhere near as high as some of their higher-end competitors, they are still far from being “economical.”
This fact is painfully illustrated when you take a look at the pricing plans offered by PIA and many other cheaper VPNs; you'll quickly realize that you can find other high-quality VPN providers for less than half the price of IPVanish.
I like the all-inclusive price and I like the simplicity of their offer, but frankly, I think that IPVanish is doing a disservice to their company and customers by not offering a bigger discount on their annual plan.
However, in order for you to really determine whether or not IPVanish is worth the investment, you first need to know what you're getting. In return of your investment.
Final Verdict
IPVanish has a lot of advantages. They offer their customers support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. With a subscription, you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.
You can torrent anonymously and have access to unlimited P2P traffic. IPVanish has over 1,000 servers in over 60 countries. Customers have access to unlimited bandwidth and their traffic is encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption. IPVanish offers a seven-day money-back guarantee.
That being said, we don't think IPVanish is worth it. There are two things people look for in a VPN.
They want privacy and they want access to geo-restricted content. When it comes to geo-restricted content, IPVanish is no match for it. And when that's the case, the service is so slow that it makes it frustrating to watch your favorite streaming service.
When it comes to privacy, despite all their promises, we don't think IPVanish VPN is trustworthy. While we applaud the role they played in helping law enforcement apprehend an individual accused of a heinous crime, it is disappointing to know that the reason they were able to do so was because they lied all along about keeping traffic logs. In the world of VPNs, that's inexcusable.
If you need a break from your research and quick recommendations, then check out NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the safest VPN services you can buy. When they say they don't keep journals, they really mean it. And there's a lot of evidence to support that claim.
For our money, the best VPN we've tested - and the one we recommend most often to friends, colleagues, and even family - is NordVPN. They're secure, fast, don't keep logs, and are 100% successful in getting around geographic restrictions on sites like Netflix. Don't settle for less than your privacy is worth.
