IPVanish VPN review 2024: Cost, features and more (2024)

IPVanish VPN review 2024

IPVanish is a virtual private network (VPN) with fast download speeds, affordable long-term plans and support for many different VPN device types. It’s a reasonably well-performing VPN for most use cases, though it’s among the slower VPNs we reviewed when it comes to upload speeds.

If you need a VPN for only one month, pricing at IPVanish isn’t very good. Month-to-month subscriptions cost $12.99 per month, which is on the higher end of the typical price range. However, if you commit to a one or two-year contract, pricing is very competitive with industry leaders.

IPVanish stands out as the only VPN on our Best VPNs list to offer phone support, which is a huge benefit for companies without IT departments. Phone support can help non-tech-savvy employees diagnose problems instead of leaving them to flounder with only an online knowledge base.

More advanced and privacy-centric users may be leery of the fact that IPVanish’s headquarters are based in the United States. A U.S.-based VPN provider could be seen as problematic because of the five eyes, an international data-sharing agreement that includes the United States as one of its five country members.

IPVanish VPN overview and facts

IPVanish is a VPN service provider owned by Ziff Davis, a publicly traded company based in New York. Ziff Davis is a diversified internet and technology company with multiple VPN companies in its portfolio. While having a U.S.-based company with phone support and a proven track record in the technology space may be a positive for some users, others may be concerned about using a VPN company based in the United States.

The U.S. is part of a data-sharing alliance between countries known as the five eyes, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. IPVanish’s no-log policy may not reassure the most privacy-focused users, who may worry about the NSA or other law enforcement agencies potentially requesting to view IPVanish’s logs and gaining access to their private data and online activity records.

User reviews for IPVanish show the VPN service is generally well-received. IPVanish holds a 4.4-star rating with over 8,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Many reviews note that the company’s customer service is responsive and helpful, and the app is easy to install and navigate.

IPVanish also falls roughly in line with high-performing competitors’ download speeds. Though upload speeds were much slower. Regardless, speeds should be sufficient for most individual and small business internet usage, such as email, web browsing and video streaming. Only advanced users and multimedia creators will likely notice the impact of slower upload speeds.

IPVanish VPN pricing

IPVanish offers one VPN plan with the option to pay for one month to two years at a time. As with most competitors, you’ll save money with a longer-term commitment.

IPVanish

IPVanish (including free trials) gives users access to unlimited simultaneous connections with no data caps or speed limits. Compared to other VPNs we reviewed, the one-month cost isn’t a great deal, but it’s a good option to test out the service with a low commitment.

Price-conscious shoppers will, however, be attracted to IPVanish’s one-year and two-year plans, offered at a drastically lower price point than the month-to-month offering. Annual plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a refund if you’re unhappy with the service.

The average monthly cost of $3.33 per month for two-year plans is a bargain. The shorter-term plans may attract users who want phone-based customer support, a rarity in the industry. If that’s a major value to you, paying a little more for the monthly plan may still be worthwhile, depending on your needs.

IPVanish VPN plans

IPVanish operates over 2,200 servers in more than 75 countries. The VPN supports WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN and IPSec protocols; however, not all protocols work on all devices.

You can download and install the VPN on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS (Chromebooks) and compatible Amazon Fire devices. You can also configure IPVanish to work on a router for full home or office coverage. Routers must support DD-WRT or other VPN-capable firmware.

IPVanish

With an IPVanish plan, you get access to all of the VPNs features, including:

• Military-grade encryption.
• Unlimited simultaneous connections.
• No data caps.
• A server network of more than 2,200 servers.
• Audit-verified no-log policy.
• Proxy web server.
• 24/7 customer support, including phone support.
• Kill switch.
• Split tunneling.

IPVanish provides users with unlimited simultaneous connections, uncapped data usage and a server network that spans more than 75 countries. Your VPN connection is protected by a kill switch that instantly cuts off your session to protect your data if the connection is interrupted.

You can also pick and choose which traffic to route through your VPN using the split tunneling feature, sending some data through the VPN tunnel and other activity through your normal internet connection. Split tunneling can be a helpful feature to circumvent recurring authentication issues with certain work platforms and sites.

IPVanish doesn’t limit your VPN speeds and provides a fast average download speed of 238 Mbps. However, a drawback for some users will be its slower average upload speed of just 32 Mbps. If you have a fast internet connection and upload large files, such as video or database files, the upload speed could be problematic.

Still, many internet service providers (ISPs) provide slower upload speeds than IPVanish’s average, so most users won’t notice a difference.

IPVanish add-ons and optional features

IPVanish doesn’t have any optional add-on features. Once signed up, you have full access to everything IPVanish has to offer, unlike some competitors that offer tiered plans and upsells for more speed, VPN locations or advanced features.

A common add-on is dedicated IP addresses. IPVanish doesn’t offer dedicated IPs, relying solely on shared IPs. A dedicated IP is solely used by one user and while it can be helpful for accessing sites that require authentication, they’re not necessary for many users. Overall, shared IP addresses provide a greater level of anonymity by assigning different IP addresses with each new session, mixing the activity of your session among the many to use that IP.

IPVanish customer support and experience

Customer support is a big reason to pick IPVanish over another VPN. Most VPNs have very limited customer support, expecting most customers to troubleshoot independently using online resources, such as a knowledge base of how-to guides.

IPVanish is the only VPN we reviewed that offers phone support with a live agent. If you’re experiencing an issue, you can call IPVanish Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time. Outside these hours, IPVanish operates 24/7 live chat and email support.

IPVanish’s user reviews consistently mention the helpfulness of its customer support.

If your small business is lacking an IT team or some of your employees are less confident technology users, IPVanish is a great option with helpful phone support.

IPVanish vs. NordVPN

On a head-to-head comparison of key features, IPVanish and NordVPN are nearly indistinguishable. Both support a similar list of devices, have similar download speeds, and have similar pricing. But when you dig into the details, the two begin to diverge.

NordVPN is much faster for uploads, with an average 186 Mbps upload speed compared to 32 Mbps at IPVanish. NordVPN also has a much larger server network (more than double IPVanish’s with over 5,500 servers).

NordVPN is also based in Panama, outside the five eyes, where there are no intelligence-sharing agreements. However, if privacy is your top concern, it’s important to note that NordVPN was a victim of a hack that exposed user data in 2018. While that should be long fixed, it’s a major stain on the company’s reputation.

Overall, the average user would still be better off with NordVPN due to better performance and a more robust offering.

IPVanish vs. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the largest VPN providers in the world. It offers a fast VPN that would be a good fit for many businesses and individuals. While its average download speeds don’t keep up with IPVanish, ExpressVPN’s upload speeds are about five times faster than IPVanish.

Regardless of the term length you choose, ExpressVPN is more expensive than IPVanish. The cheapest monthly cost at ExpressVPN is $8.32 with an annual commitment. That’s almost double the cost of a comparable plan at IPVanish.

IPVanish is better for price and phone support, but otherwise, ExpressVPN is a generally better option. It provides users with a large network of servers across 94 countries, faster upload speeds and is headquartered outside the five eyes in the British Virgin Islands.

Read our full ExpressVPN review for more information.

Is IPVanish VPN right for your business?

If you’re looking to make a long-term commitment of a year or more, IPVanish is an affordably priced VPN service that is best suited for solo entrepreneurs or small businesses. It only offers one VPN plan and no business account or bulk discounts, so if you’re looking for a business VPN for your entire company, you’ll likely want to look elsewhere. However, if you need a single account or only need accounts for a few users, this may be a good fit for you.

IPVanish stands out as one of the few VPNs to offer phone support. A rarity in the VPN industry, phone-based customer support can be beneficial for those who aren’t tech-savvy.

But with mixed performance speeds and an American headquarters, it’s not a perfect option for everyone. If you’re looking for a similarly low-priced VPN with fast speeds, Surfshark is a great alternative. And for top privacy, IVPN goes further than most VPN providers to keep your information anonymous.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)