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IPVanish Review 2024: Is it Fast, Safe and good for Streaming?

Paul Bischoff Tech Writer, Privacy Advocate and VPN Expert

IPVanish_VPN_logoIPVanish is a veteran of the VPN industry. But has its sterling reputation let it rest on its laurels for too long? Several rival VPN providers want to usurp IPVanish with better speeds, pricing, security, apps, and features.
Can IPVanish still compete with the likes of NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark? Or is it time to move on? In my 2024 IPVanish review, I wanted to find out if IPVanish is still worth considering. I tested IPV on both desktop and mobile devices to find out the answers:

  • How fast is IPVanish?
  • Does IPVanish work with region-locked streaming services (such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video)?
  • Is IPVanish safe and private?
  • Can IPVanish be used in China?
  • Does IPVanish offer good value?

I’ll discuss all of that and more in this review.

During my time with IPVanish, I used the VPN service to secure my connection on public wi-fi, hide my IP address while torrenting, and unblock streaming sites. I also put IPVanish through several tests to measure its speed and security.

My thoughts on IPVanish are summarized below. Read the full review to get an in-depth look at this long-running VPN provider.

Do I recommend IPVanish?

IPVanish is a United States-based VPN provider that emphasizes speed, security, and privacy. What it does, it does well, and it checks all the boxes when it comes to the standard features that are necessary for a modern day VPN.

Speeds had improved massively the last time we reviewed IPV, and it remains one of the fastest VPNs around. If you want privacy on public wi-fi or while torrenting, it should suit you fine.

However, IPVanish struggles in China and isn’t the best for streaming. it might be one of the biggest names in the VPN business, but whether its capabilities can extend beyond that of a run-of-the-mill VPN provider is a question we aim to answer in this review.

IPVanish Key data

OVERALL RANK:  #5 of 76 VPNs
Speed
Score: 7.1
Average Speed*: 314 Mbps
Video Streaming Support: 4K UHD
Streaming
Score: 6.5
Netflix: Yes
Other Streaming Services: BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Youtube TV, Disney+
Security
Score: 8.0
Encryption Type: 256-bit AES
Kill Switch: Yes
Log Policy: Zero logs
Protocols: L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, WireGuard, OpenVPN
Value for Money
Score: 7.5
Lowest Monthly Cost: $3.33
Money Back Guarantee: 30 days
Websitehttps://www.ipvanish.com

IPVanish pros and cons

Here’s a quick summary of what IPVanish gets right and where it could use improvement:

Pros:

  • High speeds
  • Works with Netflix
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • No logs privacy policy
  • Strong encryption
  • Great for torrenting

Cons:

  • Doesn’t work in China
  • Doesn’t work with some popular streaming services
  • No Linux app
  • Based in USA

Speed: Is IPVanish fast?

Yes, but not quite as fast as it used to be.

Our team constantly retests VPNs to make sure that our information is as current as possible. This approach also means that if a service’s performance improves or declines, we’ll notice.

We had previously seen IPVanish deliver dizzying speeds, averaging well over 500 Mbps. In our most recent testing, however, its average had fallen to around 314 Mbps. Make no mistake, it’s still one of the quickest VPNs on the market, but you can’t deny that this is a significant change.

No valueIPVanish
WebsiteIPVanish.com
Average Connection Speed - North America (USA)277 Mbps
Average Connection Speed - Europe (UK)237 Mbps
Average Connection Speed - Asia (Hong Kong)352 Mbps
Best deal (per month)$2.75
SAVE 78% on the 2 yr plan

We test servers in each of these locations at various times of day using a 5 Gbps connection from the United States. You can find more detailed info on how we test VPNs here.

IPVanish - Speed TestUsing nearby servers, I was able to stream 4K video without stopping to buffer. And I didn’t experience any lagging when playing console games online. I simply made sure to be connected to a nearby server to get decent ping times and everything went very well.

IPVanish’s speed improvements did come at the cost of some stability. I encountered connection issues to certain servers – mainly Asian servers. Persistence pays off, and I was eventually able to connect but after quite a bit of trial and error. Hopefully these issues will get ironed out as the Wireguard implementation is fine tuned.

Keep in mind that our tests are not a definitive indicator of which VPN is fastest. The inherent volatility of the internet adds a significant factor of randomness, so VPN speed tests should always be taken with a big grain of salt. Those with faster connections may well notice a larger discrepancy in speeds.

IPVanish servers

IPVanish - Servers

As of time of writing, IPVanish operates more than 2,000 servers in over 75 countries. The countries with the most locations include the USA (20), the UK (4), Australia (6), France (3), and Canada (3). Server switching is unlimited.

You can search the full server list in the location menu, choose a location from a map, or sort servers by country, city, ping time, server load, and the number of servers. Ping times loosely correspond with proximity, and a lower ping time often means a faster connection.

Apps: What devices work with IPVanish?

A single subscription allows unlimited simultaneous devices to be connected at once, making IPVanish a good value for a large household. For context, most other VPNs tend to permit five or six connections at a time.

ipvanish mobile android
Android client app
IPVanish - iphone app
iPhone client app

Apps are available for:

IPVanish does not offer web browser extensions. And while Linux is supported, there’s no dedicated app – you need to configure your connection manually. IPVanish provides guides on how to achieve this.

Routers

IPVanish supports routers in two ways. First, you can purchase a preconfigured router from Flash Routers:

IPVanish - Flash Routers

Or you can manually configure your connection on one of the supported router firmwares. These are:

  • DD-WRT
  • Tomato
  • ASUSWRT
  • ASUSWRT-Merlin

IPVanish - Router Config

IPVanish provides instructions on how to manually configure each of the routers it supports.

Check out our guide on VPN routers if you’d like more information on the subject.

Streaming, Netflix and Kodi

Does IPVanish work with Netflix?

Yes!

IPVanish now works with American, British, and Japanese Netflix from abroad. Other countries can be hit and miss.

IPVanish - App - Servers - Streaming

In the past, IPVanish struggled with a lot of other popular streaming services. To its credit, it recently made a lot of progress in this area. In particular, it has focused efforts on streaming services restricted to the US, UK, and Japan. IPVanish now works reliably with all of the following streaming services, among others:

  • Netflix (US, UK, and Japan)
  • Disney+ (US and UK)
  • Hulu (US)
  • HBO Max (US)
  • ESPN (US)
  • Prime Video (US, UK, and Japan)
  • DAZN (US)
  • Fox Sports (US)
  • Fubo TV (US)
  • Peacock (US)
  • BBC (UK)
  • ITVX (UK)
  • TVer (Japan)
  • Crunchyroll (USA)
  • NBC (USA)
  • CBS (USA)
  • Paramount+ (USA)

IPVanish is a notable favorite among Kodi users. Kodi, a free home theater software that allows for streaming video and other content from multiple sources, is often installed on Android-based devices like the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

IPVanish makes an app specifically for Fire TV, and devices without access to Google Play or the Amazon App Store can directly download the Android APK directly to their device.

If you’re interested in streaming over VPN, check out our recommended VPNs for streaming.

Does IPVanish allow torrenting?

Yes, IPVanish allows torrenting on all servers. P2P filesharers and frequent streamers will be glad to know that there is no cap on bandwidth or data.

IPVanish - App Security Features

The IPVanish apps come with an optional kill switch that halts internet traffic should the VPN connection unexpectedly drop—a necessity for torrenting.

DNS leak protection is built in, including IPv6 leak protection.

The company keeps no traffic or usage logs on its customers. It does not record your source IP or any of your online activity.

If you’re into torrenting over a VPN, look at our recommended VPNs for torrenting.

Does IPVanish have split tunneling?

Yes, IPVanish’s offers a split tunneling feature in the Android and Fire TV apps, but not for other platforms at this time.

Split tunneling, or selective routing, allows users to choose which apps use the VPN tunnel and which use a direct, unencrypted connection. I could, for example, set my torrenting app to always use the VPN while Spotify always uses a normal internet connection.

I hope to see IPVanish add split tunneling to its remaining apps on Windows, MacOS, and iOS soon.

Take a look at our recommended VPNs for split tunneling if it’s something you’d like to use.

Security, privacy, and logging

Other than when an account is first registered, IPVanish keeps no record or log of VPN use on its users. Unfortunately, IPVanish has dropped Bitcoin as a payment method, forcing users to sign up with a credit card or PayPal. That makes fully anonymous signup next to impossible.

IPVanish - No Logging

Looking through its privacy policy, we find the following:

IPVanish - Privacy Policy

We like what we see here.

Regarding VPN protocols, IP Vanish supports:

IPVanish uses 256-bit encryption on the Wireguard protocol by default. SHA512 is used for authentication, and a DHE-RSA 2048 key exchange supports perfect forward secrecy. These are all up-to-date and secure encryption standards, and perfect forward secrecy ensures that past traffic data cannot be decrypted even if a hacker or someone else obtains the current decryption key.

IPVanish - Security Marketing

The company operates its own DNS servers and DNS leak protection is built in, as is a kill switch. Our tests showed no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks.

IP Test – Without VPN

IPVanish - IP Test - No VPN

IP Test – With VPN

IPVanish - IP Test - With VPN

DNS Test – Without VPN

IPVanish - DNS Test - No VPN

DNS Test – With VPN

IPVanish - DNS Test - With VPN

On the Connection page of the app’s Settings are what IPVanish labels Enhanced Security Features. Here you can choose to Block Local Network Interfaces, which blocks LAN access when the VPN is enabled. This is also where you can enable/disable DNS leak protection and IPv6 leak protection. Both these settings are enabled by default.

App Enhanced SecurityFeatures

IPVanish is based in the United States. This might raise concerns for users wary of the NSA, FBI, and other law enforcement or intelligence agencies with a record of covertly spying on people with the help of US-based tech firms. IPVanish’s zero logs policy should ease these concerns, and the company has no public record of anyone being arrested or hacked as a result of using its service. Despite that, some users will still be put off by any VPN provider based in the US and the countries it cooperates with on intelligence gathering.

IPVanish - App - Connected

IPVanish is one of very few providers that owns and operates all of its physical hardware, rather than renting it from a third party. Whereas most VPNs simply rent servers around the world, IPVanish buys them. There are pros and cons to this. Obviously, IPVanish maintains greater control over who has access to its servers. But owning servers also makes a provider less flexible under certain circumstances, such as when a data center where the servers are housed lowers their privacy or security standards. It’s much easier to end a lease and rent another somewhere else than it is to physically move a server.

IPVanish uses external email providers for support and other communication with customers. The only information on hand is users’ email addresses. No customer information is stored or accessible.

Does IPVanish work in China?

IPVanish is not a reliable VPN for users in mainland China at this time. I cannot use it to unblock websites or apps censored by the Great Firewall.

China has blocked connections to the IP addresses and domains of IPVanish’s servers. In the past, IPVanish recommended users in China set up their VPNs manually instead of using the official IPVanish app, but IPVanish now admits that even that might not work.

To learn more about connecting to a VPN from China, have a look at our recommended VPNs for China.

Is IPVanish’s customer service any good?

IPVanish has a support email address but in most cases, the best option is to get in touch via live chat. On a weekday afternoon, it took about two minutes for a response from the website’s live chat support.

IPVanish - Support Chat

A fairly thorough knowledge base is searchable on the company website.

IPVanish is one of the few VPNs to offer phone support. If you’re cut off from the website for any reason, you can get help over the phone instead.

In 2021, IPVanish upped its money-back guarantee from seven days to 30. And the 30-day money-back guarantee is still in effect today, giving you much more time to try it out before making a commitment.

IPVanish pricing

IPVanish plans

IPVanish offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so, for users looking for a VPN for just a month, you can download the VPN for 30 days and then cancel to receive a full refund. If you change your mind at the end of the 30 days you can still make the most of their low monthly prices in the short term.

IPVanish Pricing:

  • Monthly plan – $11.99 per month
  • Yearly plan – First year: $53.88 for the first year ($4.49 a month)
  • Two year plan – Billed $79.99 first two years ($3.33 a month)

All plans allow for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.

Should I buy IPVanish?

IPVanish is an easy-to-use VPN service with no limit on simultaneous connections, apps for the major device platforms, strong security, no logging, and very fast speeds. A wide range of servers are available. DNS and IPv6 leak protection, traffic obfuscation, and a kill switch are all built-in. The interface is easy to use with Kodi and other Android-based media systems.

The service works with Netflix but is hit or miss with other streaming services. Users in China and possibly some other censorship-heavy countries won’t be able to use the slick apps to bypass blocks and blacklists. These are some of the most popular use cases for VPNs these days, so it’s a shame that IPVanish either can’t or won’t overcome those hurdles.

IPVanish Coupons

Here’s the latest IPVanish coupon

IPVanish Coupon
SAVE 78% on the 2 yr plan
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IPVanish alternatives

IPVanish is solid, but it’s not for everyone. If you want something that excels at unblocking region-locked streaming sites or that bypasses China’s Great Firewall, check out these alternatives:

NordVPN offers excellent security, great speeds, a no-logs privacy policy, and apps for a wide range of devices. It works with most major streaming services from abroad including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+, among others. And it works from China.

Surfshark is another high-speed VPN, and one of the only VPNs other than IPVanish to offer unlimited simultaneous connections. You also get competitive security, and the company stores no identifying logs. Surfshark works well in China and is great for streaming.

How does IPVanish compare to other popular VPNs?

IPVanish scores highly for security and privacy but has more limited streaming abilities than the two most popular VPNs, NordVPN and Surfshark.

No valueIPVanishNordVPNSurfshark
WebsiteIPVanish.comNordVPN.comSurfshark.com
OpenVPN data encryption256-bit AES256-bit AES256-bit AES
Kill SwitchmacOS, Android Mobile, and Windows
Allows Torrenting
Connection logsSome aggregated data Effectively none
Unblocks Netflix US
Unblocks Prime Video
Unblocks Hulu
Unblocks BBC iPlayer
Money back guarantee30 days30 days30 days
Overall rating8.39.79.6
Best deal (per month)$2.75
SAVE 78% on the 2 yr plan
$3.39
67% off NordVPN for you. 3 months free for a friend
$2.29
Save 82% + Get 2 Months FREE