IPVanish VPN Review – Still Good And Safe to Use in 2021?
Protecting private information and browsing habits has become a number one priority when surfing the web nowadays.
IPVanish is the top-rated VPN service across all websites as of 2021, as it offers hundreds of server locations all over the globe with extremely high speeds. Furthermore, it keeps no activity logs of your actions, so top-notch anonymity is guaranteed. It boasts of over 3000+ VPN servers all over the globe. The trial version is free to use for 30 days, at the end of which you can choose to use their services or to go away with it.
Dwell upon all the times you were using public Wi-Fi for your issues, such as reading emails or checking your bank account. Except for the times you entered a password to log into a private network, any data broadcasted at the time of your online session might be defenseless to monitoring by strangers using the same network.
VPN (a virtual private network) connects users to a remote server and encrypts their data so they can surf the net without worrying about their info being traced or logged.
There are many VPN services available for us, but they differ one starts comparing their overall features. Some may be suitable for you, and others may not. This review aims to take a closer look at IPVanish VPN and see what a competitor it is to the best services out there.
IPVanish is a VPN service operator that provides:
- Secured and encrypted internet traffic.
- Private and anonymous IP addresses.
- Access to online media from anywhere in the world.
IPVanish VPN and its storage tools simplify users’ online security and privacy with setups for desktops, consoles, mobiles, and routers. The subscribers can get the benefit of the service on multiple devices with a 30-day money-back guarantee too.
The main aim of all VPN products is to protect your data. However, it’s not that easy to find a suitable one. You have to consider many things: safety, connection speed, your budget, etc. You should also be aware of the free options’ drawbacks: they were spotted making false claims about their speed or no-logs policy or even selling their users’ data.
Nonetheless, there are still some safe options that are likely to fit all your requirements. IPVanish VPN might be one of those. This section will talk about various criteria and how Express VPN covers (or not) them.
IPVanish VPN’s Pros and Cons
The good thing about IPVanish VPN is that it offers a secured environment to its users for daily internet activity. Once the VPN connection gets established, all the online data, searches, and related traffic like web browsing, messaging, file streaming, and video streaming passes through an encrypted tunnel with the identified IP address being concealed. It helps in protecting users from hacking, firewalls, and the government.
However, some loopholes degrade the reliability and functioning of this US-based server. As per customer reviews and reviews of the critics, it has been inconsistent with the speed performance with suspected anonymity and terrible customer support.
Pros:
Broad Network
IPVanish operates in more than 60 countries of the world, having 1000+ servers. The primary userbase and servers of the VPN server are in Europe and North America.
Tough Security measures
It offers a kill switch with a device list of up to 10 members. IPVanish provides robust internet privacy. It keeps the internet activity on DL with their anonymous IP addresses and helps all the network hackers, advertisers, and ISPs out of the users’ connection. It has a forced 256-bit encryption technology with a no-log policy. It also offers a kill switch with the choice of protocols.
Enough speed to stream 8k video
Though the speed of IPVanish is not consistent and differs due to geographical factors, it is enough to stream an 8k video on YouTube.
Reasonable price without long lock-in periods
It offers a $6.49/month price for a yearly plan and a cost of $10/month. Though it is not a very expensive deal for the users, it is also not so cheap. Thus, the price of IPVanish falls in the middle range compared to other VPN servers like Nord VPN.
Cons:
Lack of Optimised Servers
IPVanish gives a very high focus on server Ping. The users shall also anticipate other things such as browsing, Torrenting, video streaming, etc. Other VPN servers are better in terms of browsing and streaming if compared to IPVanish.
Privacy Issues:
Despite their stated no-Log policy feature, IPVanish has come under some serious issue for its lack of backbone in standing up to the authorities in the past. The log-in controversy and the discovery of unusual server location information make the server a little unreliable.
Doubtful customer support
Though the US-based VPN server company IPVanish boasts of offering 24/7 customer service support, users have reported several cases of their negligence and carelessness in response to their queries on its official site and live chat feature.
Poor Client Application
The IPVanish server’s lobby is very minimalistic and streamlined and devoid of many necessary functions and features that other VPN servers offer.
Best for:
- Windows users, regardless of the level of their machine performance.
- Seekers of simple antivirus protection.
- Easy-to-use interface lovers.
- Users with one or more devices with multiple operating systems.
Highlights of IPVanish
- Quick scan or system scan options
- Smart scan aimed at keeping the PC free from junk
- Password vault is relatively easy to use
- It doesn’t inundate the user with too many features
- Check whether the passwords have been taken
Features of IPVanish VPN
Compatibility
IPVanish is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows Phone, and other routers, so it works with many different devices through Wi-Fi, LTE, 4G, and 3G connections. You can have up to 10 simultaneous connections as well.
Multiple Server Locations
IPVanish VPN offers you servers in Africa and South America altogether across 55 countries.
Privacy and Anonymity
The company doesn’t journal any activity data and doesn’t sell or rent personal information to others.
Cascading
The feature allows you to choose your entry VPN location, which will make it difficult to track your VPN server location.
Kill Switch
IPVanish VPN has the kill switch feature, which protects your IP address from being leaked.
24/7 Support
Live chat, email support, and phone line are available to you. You may also check on the FAQ library.
IPVanish VPN Reliability & Security
IPVanish is a safe VPN with solid security. It protects your data with industry-leading AES-256 encryption and supports the highly secure protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec. According to the tests, the app effectively hides your IP address, encrypts your data, and protects you from IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
Advanced features include traffic obfuscation, split tunneling, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and the ability to configure your DNS settings manually. There’s also a VPN kill switch to keep your data secure in case of a connection drop. This isn’t turned on by default, and it’s not available on iOS, so make sure to switch it on before connecting.
The app also offers an unusual level of control over your OpenVPN configuration, and there’s even a SOCKS5 proxy available for torrent entusiasts.
The Windows app lets you choose a PPTP or SSTP connection, both of which are insecure and outdated protocols. Considering IPVanish’s apps support much more secure protocols, we aren’t sure why these outdated standards are still available. This is a minor blemish on an otherwise clean record, though.
Some of the apps lack a few key features, particularly the iOS app, but they are still fast and secure.
Overall, IPVanish is one of the most technically secure commercial VPN services available, offering an advanced suite of features suitable for beginners and experienced VPN users.
IPVanish VPN Test Results
IPVanish VPN perfectly maintains as much speed as possible in contrast to other VPN services.
Regarding DNS (Domain Name Server) test, IPVanish VPN displayed no leaks.
How Much Does IPVanish VPN Cost – Pricing Packages and Discounts
IPVanish offers two forms of pricing plans. The simple VPN server pack costs $9.99/month and $99.99 for a yearly subscription. For the premium subscription of VPN and storage, the package costs $10.99/month and $99.99 for an annual subscription. With the standard security benefits, the users can sync and secure 500 GB of data and access files from any device.
Support and Customer Service
As was mentioned earlier, phone lines, live 24/7 chat, and email support are all available to help you solve all the issues. You may find the contact information at the very top of the site. The phone numbers are presented from different countries, ensuring that your request won’t remain unsolved at any time, day or night.
How to Install IPVanish VPN on Windows or Mac OS
To get started using IPVanish VPN, you have to follow the steps below (they’re the same for both Windows and Mac OS):
- Download the app from the appropriate section on the ExpressVPN website
- Follow the simple guided setup on your screen.
- Turn on the VPN and enjoy a secure online experience.
The developers offer you a video guide which might also help while you’re setting up.
IPVanish VPN Final verdict
IPVanish offers 256-bit encrypted technology, balanced pricing options, a no-logging policy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. But these features are not enough to select IPVanish as a VPN server because other VPN servers offer low costing subscriptions with the maximum amount of security. Moreover, IPVanish does not have substantial customer goodwill due to the lack of client priority with late and improper query replies. Thus, we would not recommend the users select IPVanish as their VPN.
Though IPVanish has a good user base across the world with 1000+ servers, it is still a long way to compete with other VPN server giants like Nord VPN and Express VPN. The IPVanish VPN server is specifically suitable for users preferring video streaming and places a significant focus on their data security. IPVanish should improve on its pricing features and its marketing domain with the core focus on customer satisfaction. The 24/7 claim of the IPVanish VPN server shall be adequately enforced to get a decent share in the VPN sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
