In this IPVanish UK review, we take a look at its pricing, features, utility, and performance so you can see if it is worth the investment.
IPVanish is a US-based VPN provider. It offers a detailed service that has a host of useful features. It also manages its own servers around 75+ different countries. This means that it has far greater control over VPN providers who use third-party geographical servers.
For VPN services, it allows for an unlimited number of connected devices which is brilliant for those with large households and multiple electronic devices.
In this review…
- IPVanish Review UK Overview
- Features
- IPVanish UK Pros and Cons
- Features and Usability
- IPVanish UK Review Summary
IPVanish UK Review Overview
IPVanish UK is not as well-known as some other VPN providers like NordVPN and Surfshark. However, it does have a good set of features, and OK prices. For example, it has a kill switch so you can instantly stop your VPN connection. Also, it operates a zero-logging policy so that none of your internet traffic or data is recorded.
This VPN provider also offers decent speeds due to its wide range of global servers and different encryption options. For content unlocking, IPVanish is not one of the best options available, unfortunately. It can allow you to access different versions of Netflix and Disney+, however, it does not help with other popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video.
For versatility, IPVanish UK is available for multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and even some other platforms like Fire TV. This means you can easily install it on devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. We also like that you can have unlimited simultaneous connections.
Therefore, if you have a family with a large amount of connected electronic devices, IPVanish could make a good choice.
Features
- Uses the relatively fast OpenVPN protocol.
- Company-owned servers in 75+ cities around the world.
- Available on multiple platforms and OS.
- Wi-Fi hotspot privacy.
- Secure cloud backup storage available.
IPVanish UK Pros and Cons
Pros
- Allows for unlimited device connections.
- Great geographical diversity of servers.
- Offers unblocking for Netflix and Disney+
- A decent amount of features.
Cons
- Does provide a full range of unblocking services.
- The interface is a little outdated and cluttered.
- Doesn’t offer any additional non-VPN features.
IPVanish UK Review: Features and Usability
To give you a clear idea of what to expect from this VPN, we have broken our IPVanish review into different categories. You can then look at what is most important for your individual needs, and how the VPN provider shapes up.
Pricing
Pricing is often one of the deciding factors for people when choosing a VPN. IPVanish offers OK pricing, but it is not one of the cheapest VPN providers available. Also, you must consider that the cost of IPVanish increases dramatically after the first-year introductory rate.
Their pricing structure is incredibly easy to understand and this is something we like. They essentially have two price plans. One for their VPN service, and one for VPN + their cloud backup solution. Both price plans offer a large discount if you pay for an annual subscription, as opposed to month by month.
You can see the current prices below:
- IPVanish VPN (Paid Annually): $3.75 per month.
- IPVanish VPN + Backup (Paid Annually): $4.58 per month.
This monthly price is quite reasonable, and it is a large discount as opposed to monthly payments as seen below:
- IPVanish VPN (Paid Monthly): $10.99 per month.
- IPVanish VPN + Backup (Paid Monthly): $12.99 per month.
As you can see, if you commit to an annual plan, you can save around 70% on the full cost which is certainly worth it. Whilst this price is pretty good, it is only an introductory price for the first year. After this, the prices increase to the following:
- IPVanish VPN (After first year): $7.41 per month or $89.99 annually.
- IPVanish VPN + Backup (After first year): $9.16 per month or $109.99 annually.
This is a significant jump and it is something to consider. After the first year, their pricing becomes relatively expensive compared to most other VPN providers.
Features
The main offering for IPVanish is their VPN service. This is great and they offer a range of VPN protocols. These include OpenVPN, IKEv2, and legacy options like L2TP and SSTP. The one you are likely to use is OpenVPN. This is widely used today and offers a great combination of security and speed.
Aside from this, IPVanish UK also has some other useful features. For example, you can connect to public WiFi networks and IPVanish will encrypt the data. It will also prevent deep packet inspection which is often employed by Internet Service Providers to try and log your internet traffic.
It also offers a decent range of content unblocking. This is where you choose a different server location to mask your IP address – it then appears if you are from a different geographical location. Currently, this works with some popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. However, it is not 100% effective. For example, you cannot access Amazon Prime Video.
Whilst IPVanish does provide a good set of VPN features, that’s essentially all it offers. Some VPN providers have additional services like password managers. IPVanish doesn’t have anything like this. The only service they currently provide is a cloud backup storage solution which gives you 500GB of cloud storage space for file backups.
Interface
IPVanish is available for multiple devices including Windows, iOS, MacOS, Linux, and Android. This means you should easily be able to install and use it on any device you have. The installation process on any device is also incredibly simple and straightforward.
For usability, IPVanish is easy to activate, and it is relatively easy to turn the VPN on, and select a server location. The main issue with their control panel and interface is that it looks outdated. It could do with modernising. Also, it is not the most streamlined interface and some people may find it cluttered.
The basic utility is great, but it just doesn’t look fantastic. Hopefully, this is something they address with an GUI overhaul.
Performance
As with any VPN, IPVanish does affect your internet and download speeds. However, the impact is minimal. Overall, the server and connection speeds appear to be decent. It is important to note that this will change depending on the server location you choose.
For example, if you choose an Australian server and you are located in the UK, the connection will be much slower than if you chose a server location in Europe, even if you’re using broadband. With the OpenVPN protocol, their VPN speed is average and certainly no worse than most other VPN providers.
Server Locations
The number of servers and their geographical location is an important consideration for VPN providers. The more available servers, the greater level of flexibility you have. IPVanish has an OK range of worldwide servers. Currently, they have servers in 55 countries, which is split into 75+ different cities.
This is not as many countries as some other VPN providers offer like ExpressVPN, however it is still relatively diverse. For example, IPVanish has servers in several South American and African countries which many VPN providers do not offer. In total, IPVanish has 1900+ servers which again is OK, but not the largest number.
Also, it should be noted that IPVanish owns it’s servers. This means that they have greater control over the configuration, maintenance, and performance of their VPN network as opposed to companies who use third-party servers.
Customer Support
Customer support is something to consider when choosing a VPN. Ideally, if you experience issues, you want the assurance of knowing that you can easily get in touch with someone that can help.
IPVanish has a solid customer support team. They have 24/7 customer support so there is always someone available to help. In terms of contact methods, they also have a decent offering. This includes dedicated phone lines for the US, Mexico, the UK, Spain, Australia, Brazil, and Germany.
Also, there is a live chat or you can submit a support ticket via their contact page. The live chat uses a combination of an AI bot and real customer service reps. We found all their contact methods easy to use, and the response times were good.
IPVanish UK Review Conclusion
So should you invest in IPVanish? This VPN provider certainly has its merits. For example, it has a good range of servers, uses the OpenVPN protocol, and offers decent speeds. It’s introductory rate for the first year is also relatively cheap.
However, it does have some drawbacks that we feel make it a less desirable choice than other popular VPN providers. For example, the price drastically increases after the first year. Also, their content unblocking is nowhere near as advanced as other providers. Some people have also questioned the readability of IPVanish’s convoluted privacy policy too.
Overall, IPVanish could be an OK VPN solution for people who have a large amount of devices. This is due to their unlimited connection feature. Also, it could be a decent solution for those who just want a VPN for security reasons, and are not as concerned with connect unblocking, or other non-VPN features.
For alternatives, checkout Express VPN, NordVPN, this list of the best VPNs for streaming, CyberGhost, ProtonVPN and PrivadoVPN. You can compare all of these VPNs using our free tool below.
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