NordVPN vs IPVanish

On the surface, NordVPN and IPVanish perform similarly. Both VPNs unblock every popular US and UK streaming service that we’ve tested, including Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.

Upon closer inspection, the differences become stark: IPVanish fails to access international platforms like Movistar+, Wavve, or JioCinema, whereas NordVPN handles them with ease. Furthermore, while IPVanish often requires multiple attempts to connect, NordVPN works on the first try.

We suspect this comes down to IPVanish’s decision to to prioritize user privacy over bypassing geo-blocks. For instance, while its Firestick app unblocks fewer streaming services than its rivals, it’s the only VPN service to create a separate kill switch app to account for Fire TV’s memory constraints — ultimately ensuring your real IP will never leak.

NordVPN unblocked more foreign-language platforms than IPVanish.

NordVPN also edges out IPVanish when it comes to unblocking global Netflix regions. Both are exceptional choices for Netflix, with NordVPN unblocking just 1 more library than IPVanish.

Here’s how both VPN services compare when it comes to Netflix regions:

If you want to access UK or US Netflix then both NordVPN and IPVanish are good options. For other popular libraries though — such as South Korea, Argentina, or Poland — you will need to stick to NordVPN.

As shown above, there’s nothing to separate the two VPNs over short distances. However, IPVanish is faster across all distances with an average speed loss of 10%, compared to NordVPN’s 12%.

Though a relatively small gap, a few percentage points can make all the difference if your baseline internet speed isn’t particularly fast.

For a full breakdown of our speed testing results, use the table below:

In our latency tests, NordVPN increased our ping to 8ms, compared to 7ms with IPVanish. Although the difference is minimal, it means IPVanish will give you a slightly smoother connection for online gaming.

We tested both VPNs while playing popular online games including Fortnite, Battlefield 6 (REDSEC), and Counter-Strike 2. While our gameplay felt a tad more seamless with IPVanish, neither VPN caused any lag.

In the past the gulf between the two VPNs was vast, so we’re pleased to see that IPVanish has invested in upgrading its server network.

That said, NordVPN still provides IP addresses from a greater number of countries and with a better distribution of servers.

You can use the table below to see the number of server locations each VPN offers, by continent:

As you can see, NordVPN provides slightly broader coverage in North America and Africa, due to servers in locations like Angola, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Greenland, Mozambique, and Senegal.

NordVPN also provides a greater number of servers in specific cities than IPVanish — though the gap isn’t significant.

Using NordVPN, you can pick between cities in 10 countries, versus 8 with IPVanish. Their two lists are actually identical, aside from NordVPN including Italy and the UAE.

Looking even closer, NordVPN provides servers in 7 more US states than IPVanish, making it the better choice for bypassing regional blackouts or local restrictions.

Previously, both VPNs looked quite similar thanks to their shared inclusion of an interactive map. We personally find map-based interfaces quite pointless and distracting, so we’re pleased to see it relegated to the background of NordVPN’s desktop apps.

IPVanish’s apps, across all platforms, still feature the map display. While we admire its consistent app design, it doesn’t look attractive, especially when paired with a dull color scheme.

In contrast, NordVPN’s crisp blue and white palette looks modern, slick, and easy-to-read on all screen sizes.

Both VPNs are straightforward to start using: just click the connect button.

Once connected, the user experience on desktop diverges: NordVPN displays your new server location, IP, and ISP; whereas IPVanish’s causes a status panel to appear, cluttering your screen with various data points and a waveform chart.

For us, NordVPN’s approach is far less intrusive and a much nicer experience. Its only disadvantage, when compared to IPVanish, is the inclusion of a ‘pause’ functionality.

Instead of clicking once to disconnect, as is the case with every other VPN, NordVPN requires you to first pause your connection, and then disconnect. We despised this feature, and it very nearly caused us to choose IPVanish as the winner in this category.

On mobile, there is very little difference between the two VPNs in design or function. Both feel quite similar to use, with sensibly-designed apps.

Unlike IPVanish, NordVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox. While these add-ons aren’t full VPN apps, they still secure your browser traffic using robust AES-256 encryption.

We preferred using these VPN extensions to IPVanish’s novel alternative, Secure Browser. This feature works by streaming a sandboxed browser from a secure, remote environment.

The benefits are numerous, including preventing malware from infecting your device, but the user experience leaves a lot to be desired.

We noticed plenty of lag and the stream sometimes became quite grainy. You also have to manually reactivate the video feed every time you open a new tab, whereas NordVPN’s browser extensions remain active across all tabs.

In the short-to-medium term, there is very little price difference between the two: their monthly plans are identical, and their 1-year and 2-year subscriptions differ by only $1.10 and $0.40, respectively.

Once your subscription renews, the price gap becomes far more noticeable. NordVPN’s renewal rate is $139.08, significantly higher than IPVanish’s $89.99.

In our opinion, NordVPN does enough to warrant this higher renewal cost. It is second only to ExpressVPN in our rankings, covers 120+ countries, and is a reliable choice for any use case.

As a result, we still consider NordVPN to offer better value for money than IPVanish.

If you only need a VPN for a short period of time, IPVanish offers a 7-day free trial on Android and iOS — much better than NordVPN’s Android-only 3-day trial.

To use either VPN for free over a longer period of time, or on more platforms, you can take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantees.

In our experience, both VPN services have honored their guarantee and provided a full refund.