IVPN Review 2024: Can It Stand Its Ground Against the Competition?

IVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) that uses various encryption and protocols to ensure privacy. The company strives to be accountable, both through third-party audits and by adhering to the principles outlined in its manifesto.

The VPN service is built with an ad and tracker blocker, a kill switch, and servers in places where privacy is key. These factors make it a reliable VPN that hides your personal information and protects against leaks.

Unfortunately, it's not the perfect solution. We did have difficulty getting connected to a server while using a WireGuard protocol, and our speed results were on the slow side.

Let's dive in to what separates IVPN and the best VPNs available.

IVPN review at a glance

Our experience

We had a smooth experience testing IVPN, with some things to look out for if you want the best performance.

After choosing a plan, IVPN sent us an account number to log in to the service. This meant we didn’t need to give them an email or set up a password. This is incredibly good news for privacy-conscious individuals who don't want to set up yet another account that stores their data.

Once logged in, you’ll see a world map with all the VPN’s servers. On the left, you can connect to a server, enable a firewall and AntiTracker, and switch the encryption protocol.

Once connected to a server, we were defaulted to using the WireGuard protocol. Unfortunately, something about it didn't work with our system and we were unable to connect. We switched to the OpenVPN protocol and the issue was resolved, luckily.

When it came to selecting a server, you had plenty of options:

• Auto connect to the fastest server
• Connect to a random server
• Search for or scroll down to select a server in a specific city
• Use the map

We always love a good map interface and were also happy with how clean, simple, and fast the interface was. All additional settings were well organized within simple tabs in the settings area.

All-in-all, we had a good experience with IVPN once we were able to connect to a server. The speeds were only okay when you look at the numbers, but most servers made very little impact on our day-to-day browsing experience. We regularly forgot we were still connected, which is exactly what you want from a VPN.

Who is IVPN best for?

• Recommended for people who prioritizes privacy above all else.

Realistic anonymity is IVPN's way of saying to not bet on a VPN to be the be-all-end-all in security. Sure, its manifesto may make the team seem like renegades on a mission to protect your personal information that’s floating in cyberspace. However, the service attempts to rectify the abilities of a VPN by debunking myths that other brands may use to sell them: myths like defending against threats and identity theft.

Instead, IVPN clarifies what a VPN actually achieves: allows you to feel secure with a masked IP address without your activity being logged or monitored by your ISP.

It’s no surprise then that we loved seeing that IVPN sports a strict no-logs policy and that it doesn’t even need your email address or credit card information. But the best part, and IVPN’s biggest advantage, is its commitment to total transparency. We believe that this promise to let customers know when their service is going to be impacted builds trust. And we like companies we can trust.

IVPN prices and subscriptions

IVPN has two tiers of subscription plans, Standard and Pro. Standard comes with all VPN protocols and AntiTracker, and covers up to two devices. The Standard plan costs more than similar plans from other VPN providers, like CyberGhost and Private Internet Access.

IVPN Pro has the same encryption protocols but covers seven devices and adds multi-hop. Multi-hop routes your traffic over two servers, adding an extra layer of protection. Unfortunately, it's not the best deal out there. If you’re looking for a better all-in-one VPN, Surfshark One gives you that plus Antivirus for less.

IVPN cost

IVPN plan comparison

IVPN features

IVPN’s approach to features differs from those of NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. Its website strips away the colorful marketing present on other VPN websites. Buying IVPN means you’re concerned with the security performance of a VPN, not with flashy marketing.

Server count and countries

• 83 servers in 37 countries

VPNs like Surfshark and NordVPN offer connectable VPN servers by the thousands. Meanwhile, IVPN has a much more modest server network of 83 servers, a majority of which are in Europe and the U.K.

A high server count is nice for having more flexibility and less crowded bandwidth. The more options there are, the less people you have to share a server with. IVPN's relatively low count means you may run into slower speeds and congestion more often.

No-logs policy and headquarters

• IVPN logs policy: No logs
• IVPN headquarters: Gibraltar

The last thing you want is a digital paper trail with info about who you are. Websites you interact with are gathering information on you, including your regional location, interaction data, and DNS server with a log of the websites you frequent. But an encrypted VPN that sports a no-logs policy blocks this data collection. IVPN claims it doesn’t log your internet traffic or make a record of when you connected to the VPN, user internet bandwidth, or customer IP addresses. IVPN’s privacy policy details how “zero user information” is achieved.

There are some caveats to these claims. Instead of using your email address, IVPN generates a unique account number during sign-up. This number is saved by IVPN with the date and time of creation, the plan you picked, and the maximum number of potential devices IVPN may be on.

IVPN also has to collect some payment information. It saves a transaction ID for PayPal or debit or credit card payments and a subscription ID for auto-renew payments. For extra anonymity, IVPN suggests using cash or cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. All things considered, IVPN stores very little payment data.

Also, note that IVPN collects some data analytics through Matomo. Matomo is an open-source data-collection software that European governments trust. IVPN uses these web analytics to improve user experience for company growth purposes.

You can also feel safe in the fact that legislation is in place to aid in the safety of your information. IVPN is based in Gibraltar and follows EU privacy legislation GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Currently, the service cannot transfer any data to jurisdictions with weaker privacy laws. This means IVPN doesn't have servers in those locations. These laws are in place to keep your information from getting into the wrong hands or local governments. Should laws in Gibraltar change, IVPN feels that you have the right to know. These levels of transparency make IVPN a great choice for a secure and trustworthy VPN.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is a common VPN feature that allows you to choose which apps or websites you want to use the VPN's connection. This means you can have Netflix connected to the VPN while also routing an online game like Fortnite through your standard internet for faster speeds.

IVPN does offer split tunneling, which is a big plus. You can choose which apps to exclude from your VPN connection in the Settings > Split Tunnel tab.

Kill switch

A kill switch is designed to automatically disconnect your internet in the case of an unexpected loss of connection to the VPN server. This helps protect your real IP address from leaking if the server you're using to mask it fails at any point.

IVPN calls their kill switch a firewall, and you can turn it on directly from the home page of the app. You can also head to Settings > IVPN Firewall to customize your preferences.

Multiple VPN protocols

VPN protocols are the methods used to encrypt your information as it passes from your computer to the websites you're visiting. Different types of protocols have different pros and cons, with OpenVPN and WireGuard being the most popular today.

IVPN offers the following VPN protocols:

• OpenVPN
• WireGuard
• IKEv2 (iOS app only)

You can choose which protocol you're connected to by heading to Settings > Connection and choosing from the bullet list. Once you choose your protocol, there are additional settings you can customize there as well.

AntiTracker

IVPN also includes a DNS-based ad blocker that also blocks some of the most common trackers you'll find on your browser.

Like most VPN ad blockers, these won't help with things like YouTube ads or other sophisticated advertisements. But it will help lower the amount of ads you see on a daily basis and limit the amount of tracking that marketing companies can do on your browsing.

You can turn this option on directly from the home page, with additionial options available in the Settings >AntiTracker tab.

IVPN test results

In order to make sure a VPN lives up to the promises it outlines in its marketing points, we put them through standardized hands-on testing that includes speed, security, streaming access, and more.

Speed tests

• Speed test results: Slowed down our download speeds by 82% on average.

We tested the internet connection with and without IVPN turned on. For the control test, our speeds were 252.56 Mbps for download and 54.64 Mbps for upload. With IVPN connected to a local server, our speeds slowed a lot when looking at the numbers, but in practice, most servers didn't slow it enough to make a noticeable difference.

Typically, VPNs run faster when you’re connected to a server closer to your physical location. This is true of IVPN. On a U.K. server, the download speed dropped even further. The lag experienced was noticeable but didn’t take away from the overall experience of using IVPN.

IVPN speed test results

IVPN Netflix tests

• Netflix test results: Passed.

One of the major selling points of a VPN is the ability to access region-locked content on Netflix. Luckily, IVPN was able to get us access to American, Canadian, and U.K. Netflix with no issues.

Unfortunately, when we connected to an Australian server, Netflix was able to detect that we were using a VPN and blocked us from streaming any video.

IVPN Netflix test results

DNS and WebRTC leak tests

• DNS leak test results: Passed.
• WebRTC leak test results: Passed.

Another way IVPN strives to protect you is by protecting the information logged by your DNS. A DNS server takes your IP address and connects it to the website you’re trying to reach. Sheathing your IP address while it's traveling through the DNS server is the goal, and luckily Browserleaks reported back no leaks.

We also ran a test for any WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) leaks. These leaks can expose your IP address when making voice or video calls in a browser. WebRTC tests came back clean without any leaks.

Kill switch test

• Kill switch test results: Passed.

To test if a kill switch is working properly, we open up IPleak.net, which grabs our DNS every few seconds. While that's running, we switch servers in the VPN to see if our real IP leaks in between the old and the new server, since the switch is technically an unexpected interruption.

We switched from a U.K. to a Canadian server in IVPN and our real IP address in New Brunswick, Canada didn't show up in between. That means IVPN's firewall works to stop unexpected data leaks.

IVPN compatibility

IVPN is compatible with several operating systems as well as routers and centralized file servers that allow multiple users to store and share files. It does not offer browser support, nor does it work with streaming devices. Instead, IVPN's focus is on encrypting your IP address and data at a more base level.

The devices IVPN can cover are:

• Windows (8/10/11)
• Mac (macOS 10.4+)
• Linux (64bit Linux 3.10+ OS’)
• iOS (Full support on iPhone and iPad, iOS 14.0+)
• Android (Android 5.0+)
• Routers
• Network-attached storage (NAS) device servers (Synology v.6.1, QNAP)

IVPN customer support

Customer service is a significant topic in cybersecurity. Time is precious in a situation where there has been a malfunction or an info leak has occurred, which is why most VPN providers offer 24/7 customer service.

IVPN handles support requests via email, and you can get a reply within a few hours. IVPN does not support phone or live chat, but the articles in the Help Center are a very helpful customer resource.

IVPN alternatives

It’s possible that IVPN’s features may not satisfy what you’re after. And that’s okay. Maybe you're looking for the best international streaming VPN, or one with incoming threat protection. If that’s the case, maybe consider any of the following VPNs.

Price	$2.99–$17.99/mo	$1.99–$17.95/mo	$2.03–$6.99/mo
Max # of connected devices	10	Unlimited	7
# of servers	6,800+ servers in 111 countries	3,200+ servers in 100 countries	Unlisted in 100 countries
VPN protocol	NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	OpenVPN, IKEv2. WireGuard
Encryption	AES-256-GCM	AES-256-GCM	AES-256
No-logs policy
Headquarters	Panama	The Netherlands	Romania
Netflix access
Learn more	Get NordVPN	Get Surfshark	Get CyberGhost

IVPN FAQs

Bottom line: Is IVPN good?

The features that IVPN provides, it provides well. It focuses on bettering encryption protocols and it gives you transparent information at your fingertips. Your information isn’t routed through a compromisable server, and safety is king. 

However, IVPN offers fewer servers than other brands and its internet speeds weren't the best we've seen.

All in all, IVPN is a good and recommendable service, but we don’t think we’re ready to jump ship from top VPN brands like NordVPN or SurfShark just yet.

4.0

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

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On IVPN's website

VPN

IVPN

• Privacy-focused VPN with multiple encryption protocols
• Strict no-logs policy
• No email required to sign up
• Significant drop to speeds

Author Details

Sameer Narain

About the Author

Sameer M. Narain is a freelance writer with a foundation in systems, software, and hardware. With over 10 years of experience in testing various antivirus programs, data encryption programs, VPNs, and drive defragmentation software, he is adept at synthesizing information for the everyday reader and tech enthusiast. He has a special interest in staying secure for big team-related projects where confidentiality is king, therefore his writing often attempts to solve the bigger picture with easily accessible programs.

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