(Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by CNET’s parent company, Ziff Davis.)
IPVanish delivers consistent performance across platforms and is mostly effective for streaming.
I also tested IPVanishs streaming performance through various server locations on many of the most popular streaming sites.
Ultimately, I was underwhelmed by how little IPVanish has improved its service over the past couple of years.
Apart from a few minor enhancements, IPVanish is basically the same service it was two years ago.
As a result, IPVanish no longer makes the cut as one ofCNETs best VPN recommendations.
Read on to take a deep dive into IPVanishs offering.
Thefastest VPNs, likeNordVPNandSurfsharkmay cut your speeds by 20% or less.
IPVanishs speeds have been consistently unremarkable over the past few years.
I tested IPVanishs speeds through both OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols on my MacOS and Windows tester machines.
Also as expected, the speeds I registered through WireGuard were faster on average than they were through OpenVPN.
The fastest speeds I registered were through WireGuard on MacOS, averaging a 17% speed loss.
Overall, speeds were pretty stable across platforms and protocols, with a few exceptions.
I consistently measured VPN speeds of around 52 Mbps to the UK on my 370 Mbps base connection.
However, IPVanish seems to have since remedied the situation.
IPVanish has revamped its apps and upgraded its Quick Connect feature with what it now calls Optimal Location.
The IPVanish site offers a discount if it thinks you’re about to leave the page.
First, go for the two-year plan from the pricing page.
Note that I was able to make this work only on desktop and not on a mobile machine.
Unlike Surfsharks (and to a degree, NordVPNs), IPVanishs pricing structure is transparent.
IPVanishs payment options are also somewhat limited.
While many other VPNs accept cryptocurrencies and other alternative payment methods, IPVanish does not.
IPVanishs desktop and mobile apps deliver a fairly consistent experience across platforms, with a few slight differences.
Afterward, the Home screen connect button will connect you to the last location you were connected to.
The design of the mobile apps may also create a certain amount of confusion.
If youre on the home screen on the mobile app, its obvious whether youre connected.
So if youre looking to optimize your worldwide streaming capabilities, you may want to look elsewhere.
It even offers a few extras likeobfuscation, Threat Protection and on-demand connections that many other top VPNs provide.
Its a solid VPN for beginners or for casual users just looking for basic online privacy.
Other IPVanish companies only include the Consumer Security businesses, specifically VIPRE Antivirus, StrongVPN, Livedrive and SugarSync.
But as with any VPNs no-logs policy, such a claim isimpossible to verify with 100% certainty.
IPVanish had itsno-logs policy certifiedin an independent audit by Leviathan Security Group in April 2022.
Also, the full audit report is accessible only to IPVanish customers.
The transition to RAM-only servers is significant and a big step toward ensuring user privacy.
I confirmed this by jumping directly from one server to another while conducting a DNS leak test.
and it’s possible for you to either confirm or cancel.
Its not enough to assume that the user will expect the VPN to disconnect during the switch.
you could enable a notification that lets you know if a connection is manually disconnected.
Though its fine for general privacy, I still wouldnt recommend IPVanish to privacy-critical users.
