NordVPN vs IPVanish

We regularly test the speeds of both NordVPN and IPVanish on local and international connections.

We use each VPN’s default tunneling protocol and measure how they affect our internet speeds when connected to multiple different server locations.

We measure:

• Local upload & download speeds
• International upload & download speeds
• Ping (Latency)
• Time to connect

Here’s a quick summary of how NordVPN and IPVanish compare when it comes to speed and reliability:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Speed & Reliability Rating	9.7	9.8
Local Download Speed	95Mbps	95Mbps
US-UK Download Speed	90Mbps	91Mbps
Local Upload Speed	94Mbps	94Mbps
Ping	8ms	7ms
Time to Connect	2.2 seconds	13.2 seconds
Fastest VPN Protocol	WireGuard (NordLynx)	WireGuard

NordVPN and IPVanish are fast on local connections

Both NordVPN and IPVanish are consistently fast when connecting to nearby servers, with almost identical results.

In our testing, NordVPN and IPVanish both suffered a local download speed loss of just 5%.

Both VPNs also recorded an average upload speed of 94Mbps when connecting to the same nearby server.

The only point of difference on local connections is IPVanish’s slightly better ping time of 7ms.

If you’re connecting to a server nearby, you won’t notice any impact on your internet speed from either VPN.

IPVanish is faster on long-distance connections

Long distance connections are where IPVanish starts to pull ahead of NordVPN.

When connecting from New York to South Africa, NordVPN decreased our download speed by 34%. In comparison, IPVanish is impressively fast, slowing our connection by just 17%.

You can compare our full long distance download speed test results below:

Server Location	NordVPN	IPVanish
UK	90Mbps	91Mbps
Germany	92Mbps	82Mbps
Brazil	83Mbps	94Mbps
Australia	84Mbps	86Mbps

IPVanish has lower ping for smoother gaming

In our latency tests, we found NordVPN added 8ms of ping, whereas IPVanish added 7ms. Although the difference is minimal, this means IPVanish will give you a slightly smoother connection for online gaming.

We tested NordVPN and IPVanish from our 100Mbps test connection while playing popular online games including CS:GO, Fortnite and Minecraft. Neither VPN was blocked and in both cases we didn’t notice any additional lag while playing.

There’s not much between them: we find both NordVPN and IPVanish work well for gaming, but these results suggest you may get a slightly smoother connection from IPVanish.

We’ve tested both IPVanish and NordVPN to see how well they unblock geo-restricted streaming services from overseas.

We test popular services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more.

Our assessment includes other streaming features, too, such as Smart DNS, a Fire TV app, and the number of international Netflix regions each VPN unblocks.

The most important factors for streaming are:

• Buffer-free streaming on all platforms. Accessing streaming platforms isn’t enough — they need to be fast enough to stream in HD.
• Access to basics like US Netflix & BBC iPlayer. We expect all streaming VPNs to meet this basic threshold.
• International Netflix libraries especially the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and other popular libraries.
• Other streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video etc. Only the best streaming VPNs can unlock these services.

Here’s a summary of our overall streaming performance results:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Streaming Rating	9.8	9.1
US Netflix	Yes	Yes
No. of Netflix Libraries	12	3
BBC iPlayer	Yes	Yes
HBO Max	Yes	No
Smart DNS	Yes	No

NordVPN unblocks Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more

IPVanish unblocks BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and some Netflix libraries, but NordVPN is the clear winner in this category. NordVPN even works with stricter services like Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max.

Here’s a table comparing the streaming services that each VPN can unblock:

Streaming Service	NordVPN	IPVanish
Netflix	Yes	Yes
Disney+	Yes	Yes
BBC iPlayer	Yes	Yes
Amazon Prime Video	Yes	No
HBO Max	Yes	No
Hulu	Yes	Yes

NordVPN unblocks every Netflix region we’ve tested

NordVPN also outshines IPVanish when it comes to unblocking global Netflix regions. It worked with every Netflix library we tested, whereas IPVanish only worked with three.

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

Netflix Region	NordVPN	IPVanish
Australia	Yes	No
Brazil	Yes	No
France	Yes	No
Germany	Yes	No
India	Yes	Yes
Italy	Yes	No
Japan	Yes	No
Netherlands	Yes	No
South Korea	Yes	No
UK	Yes	Yes
US	Yes	Yes

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

IPVanish isn’t as focused on streaming as other top VPN providers. NordVPN, by comparison, puts more resources into keeping its streaming functionality up to date.

Our tests confirm that both NordVPN and IPVanish are safe to use. Here’s a quick summary of their encryption and security performance:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Encryption & Security Rating	9.9	9.6
VPN Protocols	WireGuard & OpenVPN	WireGuard, OpenVPN
Encryption Cipher	AES-256 & ChaCha20	AES-256 & ChaCha20
Kill Switch	Yes	Yes
Leak Protection	Yes	Yes
RAM-based Servers	Yes	No
Open-source Apps	No	No
Owns Server Network	Partially	Yes

Both VPNs use secure tunneling protocols and encryption ciphers

By default, both NordVPN and IPVanish use a version of the WireGuard protocol for their VPN connections from all devices. WireGuard has been tested extensively, and is completely free and open-source — which means anyone can inspect the source-code.

IPVanish offers both the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols as alternatives, while NordVPN only offers OpenVPN as an alternative (and not on every platform).

On OpenVPN connections, both services use AES-256 encryption, and on WireGuard connections both use ChaCha20 encryption.

These encryption ciphers are widely-used and tested, and have never been broken by brute force. There are currently no known vulnerabilities for either.

Both offer kill switches & effective leak protection

Both IPVanish and NordVPN have passed every leak test we’ve ever put them through. This means they don’t leak your IP, DNS, or WebRTC information.

They both have a kill switch, too. This is essential for VPN privacy and security. We tested it by deliberately cutting our VPN connection while running an IP checker tool, and both VPNs worked every time.

The two VPN services also own their own DNS servers, and default to using them — which means your ISP won’t see the websites you’re requesting.

NordVPN includes more advanced security features

When it comes to the very best VPN services, strong security is a bare minimum. Where a VPN can really set itself apart is in the additional features it offers. Here, NordVPN wins by a wide margin.

Along with its leak protection and kill switch, IPVanish includes two additional features: split-tunneling and a SOCKS5 proxy.

NordVPN includes all of these things, and much more. It offers obfuscated servers, double VPN, colocated servers, ad-blocking and TOR integration.

By comparison, IPVanish’s offering is quite simplistic. It includes all of the basics a VPN needs to have, but if you’re looking for advanced security features, NordVPN is more likely to have them.

Here’s a quick of NordVPN and IPVanish’s logging and privacy performance:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Privacy & Logging Policy Rating	8.8	8.8
Logging Policy	No Identifying Data	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Panama	US
Independently Verified	Yes	Yes
Independently Verified	Yes	Yes

Neither NordVPN or IPVanish log your activity data

Both IPVanish and NordVPN have very private logging policies. Neither of the VPNs log your:

• Browsing activity
• IP address
• Connection timestamps

In addition, neither VPN collects any information about your usage that could be personally identifiable.

NordVPN has a more private jurisdiction

NordVPN is registered in Panama, which is considered a privacy haven. There are no laws that would force NordVPN to track your activity or hand over any user logs.

In comparison, IPVanish is registered in the US, which is one of the most hostile nations to individual privacy.

However, because IPVanish keeps no user logs, it would have nothing to hand over to a government or corporation if it was asked to. For this reason, we don’t think IPVanish’s jurisdiction should work against it.

NordVPN’s dedicated IP feature is a privacy risk

You can purchase a dedicated VPN IP address from NordVPN for an additional $3.89 per month.

Sadly, this feature is a serious privacy issue as the dedicated IP address is directly linked to your NordVPN account.

As such, any browsing activity associated with your dedicated IP address can be traced back to you.

Although this isn’t a widely used feature, or part of the default VPN subscription, it’s still a disappointing oversight from NordVPN.

Both VPNs carry out independent audits

Both VPNs carry out regular external audits to validate their logging policies. IPVanish’s last audit was carried out by Leviathan Security Group in April 2022, while NordVPN’s last audit was carried out more recently by Deloitte in January 2023.

As of 18 January 2022, NordVPN updated its policy on requests from law enforcement. It now states that it will “comply with lawful requests as long as they are delivered according to all the laws and regulations”. This means, if compelled, NordVPN could log and share the activity of its users.

Though there is no evidence to suggest that NordVPN has shared any user data so far, it’s another reason that IPVanish wins by a thin margin in this category.

Our torrenting tests measure for:

• Fast P2P speeds using our bespoke P2P testing methodology.
• A zero-logs policy to ensure private torrenting.
• A good privacy track record with no history of forwarding DMCA requests.
• SOCKS5 proxy, port forwarding & other additional features for fast seeding.

Here is a quick summary of how NordVPN and IPVanish compare when it comes to torrenting:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Torrenting Rating	9.0	9.2
Avg. Download Bitrate	9.8MiB/s	9.9MiB/s
No. of P2P Servers	4,771	2,200
Logging Policy	No Identifying Data	No Logs
Kill Switch	Yes	Yes
Port Forwarding	No	Yes

IPVanish is faster for torrenting than NordVPN

IPVanish is one of the fastest VPNs for torrenting we’ve tested. We measured an averafe download bitrate of 9.9MiB/s with IPVanish, and 9.8MiB/s with NordVPN.

These are both very fast, and certainly fast enough for consistently good P2P performance. That said, IPVanish is the faster service by a small margin.

IPVanish allows P2P activity on every server

NordVPN has more dedicated P2P servers than IPVanish, but IPVanish allows P2P file-sharing in every one of its server locations. NordVPN, in comparison, blocks torrenting in 14 countries, including South Korea, Ukraine, and Thailand.

Put simply: IPVanish allows you to torrent in 50 different countries, while NordVPN only allows you to torrent in 45 countries.

Here’s the full list of countries where NordVPN does not permit torrenting:

• Argentina
• Costa Rica
• Cyprus
• Egypt
• Georgia
• Indonesia
• Israel
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Ukraine
• UAE
• Vietnam

IPVanish includes a port forwarding option

Unlike many premium VPNs (including NordVPN), IPVanish includes support for port forwarding. This is a must-have feature for advanced torrenting users, and can also be helpful for gaming with a VPN.

Port forwarding is an advanced feature that allows you to manually choose which NAT firewall port your traffic is routed through. In most cases this will speed up P2P connections, especially when seeding.

We test every VPN for usability and design on different devices. Premium VPN services should offer apps that are intuitive, easy to use, and pleasant to look at.

Here’s a quick summary of how NordVPN and IPVanish compare when it comes to device compatibility:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Ease of Use Rating	9.5	9.0
Simultaneous Connections	6	Unlimited
Desktop Apps	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Browser extensions	Yes	No
Mobile Apps	Android, iOS	Android, iOS
Streaming Devices	Android TV, Fire TV	Android TV, Fire TV
Smart DNS	Yes	No
Router App	No	No

NordVPN has better looking apps than IPVanish

We like NordVPN’s user interface a lot. It looks good, and it’s consistent across devices and platforms, which is great for usability. Most of all, it is super easy to use on every device.

By comparison, IPVanish’s interface can be intimidating and difficult to use at times. Most users will be able to find a new server or change their settings without any issues, but it could be easier.

That said, IPVanish’s apps are getting better with time. In fact, IPVanish’s latest application layout is clearly taking inspiration from NordVPN.

IPVanish supports unlimited simultaneous connections, which is better than NordVPN’s limit of six. Practically, this means you can get more out of your subscription. For most users, though, six will be plenty.

Windows & Mac

The design of NordVPN’s app is very consistent between Windows and Mac. Its settings menus are clear, easy to find, and intuitive to use. The server map takes up most of the screen, which looks nice, but it’s not particularly functional.

By comparison, IPVanish has a less consistent design between platforms. The PC app is attractive and user-friendly, but on Mac it’s a different story. We’ve found the Mac application clunky to use: it opens as a windowed app, but the settings are separated into a menu bar app.

This can be very frustrating, and is not at all intuitive.

Android & iOS

IPVanish really shines on Android. It’s intuitively laid out, with more settings available than on any other platform.

The app launches onto a connection page, which allows for one-click connection. All settings and location options can be accessed from tabs at the bottom of the screen. This works well, and we were able to access everything we needed with just a few taps.

The iOS app is also intuitive, with the same basic layout as Android. It has far fewer advanced options than available on Android, though. There’s no kill switch, split tunneling, or LAN exemption available.

Overall this makes iOS the worst of IPVanish’s applications.

The situation with NordVPN couldn’t be more different: it has a very good iOS app, but a mediocre offering on Android.

Similar to IPVanish, its iOS app makes everything easy to find in one or two taps, and you can connect straight from the launch screen. It also includes a kill switch, unlike IPVanish.

We aren’t as impressed by NordVPN’s Android app. There are lots of menus and settings, which can make it more difficult to find and change important settings.

FireTV & AndroidTV

Both IPVanish and NordVPN have applications for FireTV and AndroidTV.

NordVPN’s smart TV apps are some of the most feature-complete we’ve seen, including split tunneling, a variety of protocols, and a kill switch. The app unblocks fewer Netflix libraries than the PC or mobile apps, though, which is frustrating.

There is also an option to connect to P2P-optimized servers from the app, making it a good choice if you want to set up Kodi on your Fire TV Stick.

Visually the app is a bit utilitarian, but it’s easy enough to use.

IPVanish’s FireTV and AndroidTV apps have even more features than NordVPN’s. They include auto-startup, auto-reconnect, LAN exemption and split tunneling features. There’s a choice between OpenVPN and Wireguard protocols, too.

We’re especially keen on the app design, which balances aesthetics with advanced functionality. There’s no kill switch though, which is disappointing for an otherwise great app.

Browser Extensions & Router Support

Unlike IPVanish, NordVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox. The add-ons are just proxies, not full VPNs. They only route your browser traffic, and it’s encrypted using TLS rather than AES or a similar cipher.

We don’t recommend using the browser add-ons for security, but they can be useful for location spoofing.

Both NordVPN and IPVanish have some router support, but IPVanish is much more comprehensive in this regard. IPVanish is compatible with the following DD-WRT enabled routers:

• Asus
• Belkin
• Buffalo
• D-Link
• Linksys (Cisco)

You can also buy a pre-flashed IPVanish router, if the setup process is too technical for you. This is an expensive option, but the FlashRouter privacy app is great for managing multiple devices in your home.

NordVPN can’t be manually installed on as many routers as IPVanish, but it also has the option to be purchased pre-flashed on a router of your choice.

A large server network means more options and faster connections. When testing for this category, we check:

• The total number of servers and IP addresses available
• The number and distribution of server locations available
• City-level server locations
• Whether servers are virtual or physical

Here’s a summary how NordVPN and IPVanish compare when it comes to their server networks:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Server Locations Rating	9.6	8.9
Countries	60	53
Countries with City-Level Choice	6	6
Servers	5,613	2,000

NordVPN has VPN servers in more countries than IPVanish

You can connect to NordVPN servers in 60 countries, compared to just 53 for IPVanish.

Both VPNs use an entirely physical server network, which means if you select a server location nearby, you should always expect to get good speeds.

Here’s a break-down of the number of server locations each VPN offers in every continent:

Continent	NordVPN	IPVanish
Europe	37	31
Asia	12	10
South America	4	5
North America	3	4
Africa	1	1
Oceania	2	2

IPVanish and NordVPN are more or less equal when it comes to server countries. Both offer excellent coverage of Europe and North America, and good coverage of Asia and Oceania.

Where both VPNs fall short is their coverage of the Global South. For example, both services only support a single server location to Africa.

We assess VPNs for the value they offer. This isn’t just a question of how cheap a VPN is, but how appropriate the price is for the service it offers. We check the following:

• The price of a monthly subscription.
• The cheapest long term subscription deal.
• Money back guarantees and free trials.
• Payment options.

Here is a summary of NordVPN and PIA’s key pricing data:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Price & Value Rating	8.5	8.0
Monthly Subscription	$11.99/ month	$11.99/ month
Cheapest Subscription	$3.29/mo over 2 years	$3.33/mo over 2 years
Credit Card	Yes	Yes
Cryptocurrency	Yes	No
PayPal	No	Yes
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days	30 days
Free Trial	7 days (Android)	7 days (iOS & Android)

NordVPN costs just $3.29 a month on a two-year subscription, which makes it the cheaper option for a long-term commitment. However, NordVPN renews at $99.48 which is substantially higher than IPVanish’s renewal price of $89.99.

Although, we’d still suggest using NordVPN beyond its two-year plan as the quality of the product is superior to IPVanish in almost every department.

Both IPVanish and NordVPN offer 30 day money-back guarantees, although they require payment information before signing up. This means you can try the service out and cancel if it isn’t to your liking.

They also both offer limited free trials. NordVPN has a free trial on Android, and IPVanish has one on iOS and Android. These are a nice addition, but you may find the money-back guarantee a more flexible way to try the service across different platforms.

NordVPN supports more payment options than IPVanish. You can pay with Bitcoin, AliPay and most debit or credit cards. Unfortunately it no longer supports PayPal.

IPVanish does let you pay with PayPal, as well as with major credit and debit cards. It won’t let you use Bitcoin or other online services, though.

We test VPNs for China weekly via a remote-access server that’s physically located in Shanghai. We use our Shanghai server to check:

• How often VPNs can connect from China.
• If they can access blocked websites and apps from China.

If a VPN works to unblock websites in China, it can typically be relied upon to bypass blocks in other high-censorship countries, too.

Here is a summary of how NordVPN and IPVanish compare for bypassing censorship:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
Bypassing Censorship Rating	6.7	6.0
Reliability in China (last 3 months)	0%	0%
Reliability in China (last 12 months)	5%	0%
Obfuscation Technology	Proprietary obfuscated servers	Scramble OpenVPN protocol available

NordVPN is better for bypassing censorship in China

NordVPN consistently outperforms IPVanish when it comes to beating censorship in China. During the past year, IPVanish has not worked in China on a single occasion.

NordVPN doesn’t currently work on Windows, either, with a success rate of just 5% in the past year. However, we have been able to consistently bypass China’s restrictions on NordVPN’s Android, iOS, and Mac apps.

The process for setting up NordVPN on Mac and iOS in China is complicated, though.

the very best VPNs for China work the majority of the time.

In the video below, we demonstrate how NordVPN can be used in China when it’s working:

Both VPNs include obfuscation technology

NordVPN uses proprietary obfuscation technology to get around censorship. Most of the time it is very effective. The standard app won’t work in China, though. You need to download a special app for bypassing censorship, which is available for Windows and Android only.

IPVanish offers its obfuscation setting, OpenVPN Scramble, on all platforms. It works by wrapping VPN traffic in a layer of HTTPS to make it resemble normal traffic.

While neither NordVPN or IPVanish currently work in China, both may work in other censored regions with less advanced firewalls, like Turkey or Russia.

We test the following aspects of customer service:

• Support options. We like to see a variety of options for support, especially 24/7 live chat and email.
• Quick responses. We test a VPN’s customer service to ensure help arrives quickly.
• Online guides & forums. Good VPNs have extensive, accessible online guides or forums to help you troubleshoot small issues.

Here’s a summary of our customer support test results for IPVanish and NordVPN:

	NordVPN	IPVanish
24/7 Live Chat Support	Yes	Yes
Automated Chatbot	Yes	Yes
Email Support	Yes	Yes
Phone Support	No	Yes
Online Resources	Yes	Yes
Forum	No	No

IPVanish offers more support options

Both IPVanish and NordVPN offer all the customer support basics you should expect: live chat, email support, and online guides.

Unlike NordVPN, which only offers these core options, IPVanish also maintains a telephone support service. This is an unusual but helpful alternative for people that need a more immediate option than email support.

NordVPN solved our customer support queries faster

We tested both NordVPN and IPVanish to see which VPN’s customer support gave us good advice the fastest.

We asked both providers the same set of questions during normal work hours to see which would perform better.

Here’s how NordVPN performed:

Question	Response Time	Question Answered
What type of encryption does NordVPN use?	Instant	Yes
What Netflix libraries does NordVPN unblock?	Instant	Yes
What’s the fastest NordVPN protocol?	95 seconds	Yes

Here’s how IPVanish performed:

Question	Response Time	Question Answered
What type of encryption does IPVanish use?	5 minutes	Yes
What Netflix libraries does IPVanish unblock?	3 minutes	Yes
What’s the fastest IPVanish protocol?	4 minutes	Yes

Overall, NordVPN’s customer support was consistently much quicker than IPVanish. We found IPVanish’s chatbot would often start by linking to guides, which generally didn’t contain relevant information.

When we got through to a human, we found it took a few minutes for them to actually answer our question. IPVanish’s customer service staff were helpful and polite, but NordVPN’s were much more direct and informative.

NordVPN’s chatbot is so good, we only had to talk to its live chat support team once. When we did, they were quick and helpful.

Both NordVPN and IPVanish are very good VPNs — some of the best available. They are both super fast, affordable, and safe to use.

That said, NordVPN is the clear winner overall: it beats IPVanish in almost every category.

IPVanish does perform better than NordVPN in some areas. It’s great for torrenting, records slightly faster download speeds, and it has far more city-level server options than NordVPN.

NordVPN is the better VPN for streaming by quite a distance. It can unblock a remarkable number of Netflix regions, plus most other streaming services. It is more secure than IPVanish overall, easier to use, and offers better customer support.