IPVanish review

What is IPVanish?

IPVanish has been around since 2012 and is based in the United States. Since 2019 it has been owned by Ziff Davis, the media group behind PCMag and Mashable. It runs thousands of servers in dozens of countries and is one of the few big VPNs that allows unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan.

Is IPVanish safe?

For everyday privacy, yes. IPVanish uses AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption, has a kill switch, DNS leak protection and a no-logs policy that has been checked by an independent auditor. Two things are worth knowing. The jurisdiction: the US is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. And its history: in 2016, under its previous owner, IPVanish handed connection data to US authorities in a criminal case. The company changed hands, rewrote its policy and has since had it audited, but privacy purists still remember it.

Is IPVanish good for torrenting?

Yes. P2P traffic is allowed, there are no bandwidth limits, and in tests the kill switch cut the connection within a second every time the VPN dropped – so your real IP never reaches the swarm. Split tunneling lets you send only your torrent client through the VPN. There is no port forwarding, which can slow seeding on some private trackers.

IPVanish speed and protocols

IPVanish uses WireGuard by default, with OpenVPN and IKEv2 as alternatives. Speeds are good on nearby servers and drop more noticeably on distant ones, which is normal. For HD and 4K streaming and fast torrent downloads, it is more than enough.

Does IPVanish work with Netflix and streaming?

In recent tests IPVanish unblocked Netflix in several countries, even in 4K, as well as other major platforms – although results can change from server to server and over time. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Fire TV and Apple TV, and with unlimited devices one account covers the whole household.

IPVanish price and plans

IPVanish is cheap on the long promotional plans, but renewals cost noticeably more – check the renewal price before buying. Higher plans add extras such as Threat Protection (malware and ad blocking, on Windows and macOS) and encrypted cloud storage. Yearly plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

IPVanish vs NordVPN and Surfshark

IPVanish and Surfshark both offer unlimited devices, but Surfshark has a non-US jurisdiction and more privacy features. NordVPN is faster and more privacy-focused, but limits the number of devices. IPVanish is a good choice if you want one account for many devices and fast, stable connections for torrenting. All our picks are in the VPN category.

IPVanish FAQ

Does IPVanish keep logs?

IPVanish says it keeps no logs of your activity, and its no-logs policy has been checked by an independent auditor. The 2016 case happened under a previous owner.

Can I use IPVanish for torrenting?

Yes, P2P is allowed, with a kill switch and split tunneling. There is no port forwarding.

How many devices can I use with IPVanish?

Unlimited, on every plan.

Is there a free trial?

There is no free plan, but yearly plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Our IPVanish verdict

IPVanish is a solid, easy VPN for torrenting and streaming, with unlimited devices and a reliable kill switch. The US jurisdiction and its 2016 history make it less suited to anyone who needs maximum privacy, and renewals are expensive – but for everyday use it does the job well.