NordVPN vs IPVanish in 2024

Both NordVPN and IPVanish are well-known providers. Virtually all VPN review sites have these two somewhere in their Top 10. Although NordVPN generally does better, the differences can seem minor to an untrained eye. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any – read our comparison, and you’ll see that there’s a clear winner.

We looked at security, privacy, speed, price, ease of use, and other key aspects to help you decide which service is worth your money. And no need to worry if you don’t have the time to read the whole comparison. The side-by-side overview of NordVPN vs IPVanish below tells you which one is better in crucial categories.

IPVanish vs NordVPN: specifications

Looking at the table, you can quickly tell that NordVPN beats IPVanish in every category. It’s more affordable, houses an expansive server fleet, supports more platforms, and is generally more versatile. IPVanish isn’t a bad provider, per se, but it can’t live up to what NordVPN offers.

NordVPN vs IPVanish – pricing

When it comes to pricing, both offer short-term and lengthier plans. NordVPN and IPVanish protect subscriptions with 30-day money-back guarantees. Furthermore, you can finalize the purchase using popular payment methods. Those unsure of committing from the get-go have the option to test the services with 7-day free trials.

Still, only NordVPN lets you pay with cryptocurrencies or even cash if you want extra anonymity. And it’s cheaper than IPVanish, coming with tons of features and perks. Because of this, NordVPN is the winner of this category.

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN comes with several subscription options according to tiers. The Standard plans include:

• $12.99/month for the monthly plan
• $4.59/month for the annual plan
• $2.99/month for the two-year plan

The Standard tier only covers the VPN software. Meanwhile, Plus additionally comes with the NordPass password manager and a data breach monitor. The last one, Complete, throws in 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage into the mix. The prices vary accordingly, however, you can find NordVPN discount codes for most of them.

NordVPN offers a free 7-day trial version for curious cats wanting to test the service first. While you can only download it from the Google Play Store, it becomes available on other devices once you sign up. Thus, the provider lets you see how the service works on a multitude of OS.

Regarding purchases themselves, NordVPN has plenty of payment options. These range from credit cards and Google Pay to cryptocurrencies and cash (only in supported countries). Finally, all subscriptions are insured by the 30-day money-back guarantee.

IPVanish pricing

IPVanish comes with 3 pricing tiers:

• $12.99/month for the monthly plan
• $3.33/month for the annual plan
• $2.19/month for the two-year plan

There are no additional perks for choosing a longer plan, just a better price. Of course, getting a better IPVanish deal is also an option. They all come with VPN software and VIPRE antivirus. Plus, you can test the service by getting the 7-day free trial version from the Google Play or Apple App Store.

Compared to NordVPN, IPVanish has fewer payment methods. The selection only includes credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay, without the ability to pay using cryptocurrencies. But at least the provider backs up its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Speed comparison

As our VPN speed testing tool shows, NordVPN is considerably faster than IPVanish. As a matter of fact, this is one of the fastest providers on the market. The in-house NordLynx tunneling protocol primarily achieves this excellent performance. It’s an improved version of the popular WireGuard protocol, offering better security, speeds, and connectivity.

While IPVanish has implemented the aforementioned WireGuard, it just can’t catch up. Sure, it facilitates commendable speeds, especially compared to old protocols like OpenVPN, but it doesn’t achieve the same level of performance. Thus, if you want a smooth online experience, you’re better off with NordVPN.

NordVPN vs IPVanish: which is more secure?

When it comes down to security, both NordVPN and IPVanish include the necessary features. Both VPNs offer AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection measures. But when you compare the little details, it becomes clear that NordVPN is more secure.

For instance, IPVanish has a kill switch only on Mac and Windows. The provider is also based in the privacy-unfriendly US, and the server fleet doesn’t have any servers that run on RAM. NordVPN, on the other hand, is based in a great location, comes with two kill switches, and has upgraded all servers to run on RAM modules.

IPVanish is the loser of this round. Although it has an independently-audited no-logs policy, so does NordVPN, and the latter also lets you pay in crypto.

Privacy

NordVPN is based in Panama, a country with no data retention laws. Furthermore, the nation is far away from the clutches of the Fourteen Eyes Alliance, making it a great base of operations.

Meanwhile, IPVanish is US-based. The United States is a bad VPN location for a number of reasons, not least of which is the country’s invasive intelligence landscape. It being the core member of the Five Eyes Alliance membership doesn’t help, either. After all, members of this alliance spy on their citizens and share their private information with each other.

Logging

No-logs policies indicate that the VPN doesn’t collect information about you. Many claim their policies are true, but few can prove their veracity. In this case, both NordVPN and IPVanish have independently-audited no-logs policies, but with a few caveats.

NordVPN has had its policy audited three times – twice by PwC, and once by Deloitte. All audits confirmed there’s no funny business happening behind the scenes. In fact, it would be hard for this service to log your data since all its servers utilize RAM modules.

IPVanish has had its policy audited by Leviathan, which is great. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the provider has been caught logging user data and sharing it with law enforcement in the past. But keep in mind the ownership of IPVanish has changed, and the current parent company is working hard toward ensuring complete user privacy.

Servers location

To those unaware, the size of a VPN’s server fleet is also important. First, depending on the covered countries, it determines what kind of foreign content you can unblock. Having plenty of servers is also crucial, as it helps avoid congestion.

NordVPN has 7000+ RAM-only servers in 118+ countries. The whole fleet runs solely on RAM modules, and all servers are physically located in their corresponding countries. Furthermore, the servers are steadily being updated to 10 Gbps ones, which facilitates better connectivity.

IPVanish only has around 2200+ servers in 51+ countries. The difference is that IPVanish owns all of its servers and does not rely on any third parties for its network infrastructure. That hasn’t helped IPVanish ensure their users’ privacy, nor has it helped surpass NordVPN in the speed department.

NordVPN wins this round, too. The server network is simply bigger, and the provider is working toward improving its infrastructure and the quality of its servers.

Features comparison

IPVanish isn’t as strong as NordVPN in this category. The former only offers a fraction of the latter’s feature list. Let’s compare.

Smart DNS

Smart DNS is a feature useful for devices that don’t support VPN software natively. In essence, it lets you bypass geo-blocks on them without the need for a VPN app. Only NordVPN has implemented it.

It’s called SmartPlay, and it automatically switches DNS servers to circumvent restrictions. There’s no need to toggle any switches, you just have to connect to a server, and the app does the rest of the work. Furthermore, it has a pretty great track record – we got instant access to geo-blocked services during testing.

Ad & malware blocker

Advertisements and malicious software are both a nuisance and a threat. Some providers go the extra mile to make your browsing experience much safer by including dedicated blocking tools. Yet again, only NordVPN offers an ad & malware blocker.

Going by Threat Protection, this feature blocks ads, disables user trackers and scans for malware whenever you download a file. It will even prevent you from visiting shady websites by dishing out a warning beforehand. The best thing about Threat Protection is that it works separately from the VPN, meaning that you don’t have to be connected to a server for it to do its job.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling lets you include or exclude which applications work only when the VPN is enabled. Thus, it’s handy when you want to secure specific app traffic.

Both NordVPN and IPVanish include split tunneling. The only caveat here is that the former’s is available on Windows, Android, and Android TV, while the latter’s can be used just on Android and FireOS.

Specialized servers

Certain VPN services offer servers optimized for particular activities or needs. Only NordVPN includes specialized servers:

• Dedicated IP. Meant for users who bought a dedicated IP address.
• Double VPN. For those who want to route their internet traffic via two VPN servers for double the encryption.
• Obfuscated. Masks all traces of VPN usage, making it possible to use NordVPN in countries where VPN software is restricted or outright banned.
• Onion over VPN. Combine the security provided by VPNs with the anonymity of the Tor network.
• P2P-optimized. Dedicated to boosting downloads and uploads when torrenting.

The only thing here that IPVanish can offer is the Scramble option for OpenVPN. In essence, it works the same way as NordVPN’s obfuscated servers. It isn’t as reliable, though, with users reporting issues when accessing the free internet in China.

Others

Feature-wise, the only thing IPVanish has that NordVPN doesn’t is the free VIPRE antivirus. Every new user gets it at no additional cost and can benefit from real-time protection. It’s a separate software handy against malware, spyware, viruses, phishing, zero-day exploits, rootkits, and all kinds of other online threats.

Still, it’s not enough to overcome NordVPN. This provider also includes Invisibility on LAN, Meshnet, and Dark Web Monitoring, proving it to be more versatile and feature-rich. Thus, NordVPN beats IPVanish in this category.

Netflix and streaming comparison

This one’s clear-cut: you can unblock Netflix with NordVPN easily and in many regions. This is far from the case with IPVanish. The latter might help you use other streaming platforms, but generally, NordVPN is one of the best VPN services for streaming on the market today.

With it, you will not only access American Netflix but also stream your chosen content from multiple Netflix libraries worldwide. It also has no issues unlocking Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and HBO Max. Sadly, that’s not the case with IPVanish, hence NordVPN is a clear winner of this round.

Device compatibility

Ease of use is not an issue for NordVPN and IPVanish. Both have slick, straightforward, and intuitive apps for all the main platforms, along with Android TV and Amazon Fire TV. But only the former offers secure VPN add-ons for a plethora of web browsers. Plus, you’re able to run the service on a variety of router types and more.

IPVanish gets bonus points for having unlimited simultaneous connections, but NordVPN counteracts it pretty easily. Simply install the VPN on your router, and you’ll secure all household connected to it. All in all, NordVPN proves to be more versatile in this category. It supports more devices and offers browser add-ons.

Desktop applications

IPVanish and NordVPN have dedicated apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The providers offer identical applications for Windows and macOS users, meaning the experience is the same throughout. Furthermore, neither service has a GUI for their Linux apps, so what you end up getting is a simple command line interface.

The Windows and Mac clients look alike and offer the same level of security in both cases. It’s not always possible to achieve this since Apple limits what kind of features can be used on their devices.

Users will likely find NordVPN easier to use due to the visual server map. IPVanish only has a server list, which gets the job done, but can be tedious to scroll through.

Mobile applications

As is the general case with mobile apps, NordVPN and IPVanish offer fewer features to iOS users. And while the former manages to keep the same level of security, the same can’t be said about the former. IPVanish’s iOS app doesn’t have a kill switch.

The providers have better Android apps in general. They are as streamlined as their desktop counterparts and are more customizable. Besides the usual features, NordVPN offers Tapjacking protection and split tunneling. IPVanish just offers obfuscation and split tunneling.

What’s notable is that IPVanish’s iOS app only has On Demand connections and Siri shortcuts. There’s no obfuscation or split tunneling that would make it worthwhile to install it on your Apple phone.

Torrenting

Both VPN services are torrent-friendly. They don’t block or throttle P2P traffic, and they don’t penalize users for file-sharing. With that said, the approach differs: IPVanish allows torrenting on every server, whereas NordVPN does the same and offers P2P-optimized servers on top.

Still, the providers include a SOCKS5 proxy on their feature list. There’s also split tunneling, but only NordVPN has it on the Windows app. While it might seem like it’s a tie in this category, NordVPN is marginally faster, putting it over the edge yet again. It’s no wonder the service is considered one of the best VPNs for torrenting.

China and other restricted countries

A VPN’s ability to function in China is always difficult to gauge, but IPVanish clearly has fewer tools to make their service reliable. Just like most VPNs, it’s blocked at the DNS level. Their only solution is to give IP addresses for direct connection – a short-term band-aid type fix at best.

NordVPN has the option of Obfuscated servers. It’s a special server list optimized for countries with heavily restricted internet. This hardware uses a modified version of OpenVPN to hide all tracks of VPN usage, helping to avoid Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Plus, NordVPN offers

Onion over VPN, which combines the security of VPNs with the anonymity of the Tor network.
IPVanish may fare okay in other censorship-heavy countries, but definitely not better than NordVPN. Thus, this round goes to NordVPN again.

Customer support

Both NordVPN and IPVanish do very well regarding customer support. They offer 24/7 live chat, an email ticketing system, and knowledgebases for independent troubleshooting. The latter has a slight edge by including phone support, available on work days in the US, Mexico, the UK, Spain, Australia, and Brazil.

We received quick responses when testing NordVPN’s 24/7 live chat. It was less than a minute most of the time, and the agents were knowledgeable and polite. And when we tried the email option, we got an answer on the same day.

IPVanish’s 24/7 live chat agents were well-spoken and helpful, and we didn’t have to wait long for a response. The same can’t be applied to email support, as some questions were answered after a few days.

NordVPN vs IPVanish video review

NordVPN vs IPVanish – which is better?

Although IPVanish is better than the majority of VPNs, NordVPN comes out on top. The latter offers superb performance, an extensive server fleet, broad device compatibility, and better versatility overall. And it all comes at an affordable price – such a robust package is hard to beat.

There’s still some way to go before IPVanish can be compared with the industry’s crème de la crème – NordVPN. The only category these services go toe to toe with is customer support. And even then, IPVanish manages to even this match by having a phone line.

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NordVPN vs Surfshark
NordVPN vs OpenVPN
IPVanish vs ExpressVPN
IPVanish vs TunnelBear

FAQ

Is IPVanish any good?

Yes, IPVanish is a good VPN. In fact, it’s among our recommended VPNs for its commendable performance, reliable security features, and affordable pricing.

Which is better – NordVPN vs IPVanish?

NordVPN is the better option. It houses more servers, facilitates the fastest speeds in the industry, and offers a robust toolkit useful for all online activities. It even costs less, making it the more appealing option affordability-wise.

Which is faster – NordVPN or IPVanish?

NordVPN is faster than IPVanish. The service utilizes the in-house NordLynx tunneling protocol, an improved version of WireGuard. While IPVanish’s speeds are good, too, they can’t compare to NordVPN’s performance.