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Unsure whether to go for NordVPN or IPVanish? We feel you. While NordVPN bundles together more overall features and offers a marginally better rep, IPVanish is super-fast and their price plans represent some seriously good value, right?
The NordVPN vs IPVanish battle has been ongoing ever since 2012 and both VPNs have so much to offer that it really is a tough call for many internet users. In this guide, we pit both VPNs against each other in our efforts to unpick which is the best fit for different kinds of consumers. Here we go.
Company | Tefincom S.A | J2 Global, Inc |
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Website | nordvpn.com | ipvanish.com |
Company | Tefincom S.A | J2 Global, Inc |
Customer Support | Live Chat, Phone | Live Chat, Phone, Email Support |
Verified by | n/a | n/a |
Payment Methods | ||
Bonus | from $3,59 / Month | from $3,33 / Month |
Visit |
T&Cs apply, 18+
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T&Cs apply, 18+
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First and foremost, let’s take a look at some pros and cons of each provider:
Before we dive right in, let us just say that whichever of the two VPNs you choose to go for, NordVPN or IPVanish, you’ll be getting a market-leading product that’s packed full of useful privacy features and tons of amazing capabilities. But just so you can see for yourself, here’s what to expect from each in a few all-important areas:
So, when comparing NordVPN vs IPVanish on speed, which is fastest? Well, on the surface, NordVPN advertises server speeds of up to 10Gbps, against IPVanish’s up to 25Gbps, making the latter appear the superior option at a first glance.
That said, we conducted one or two reality tests on either VPN, using the same server locations (New York and Tokyo), and racked up the following average results:
VPN | Average download speed | Average upload speed |
---|---|---|
NordVPN | 196 Mbps | 99 Mbps |
IPVanish | 254 Mbps | 104 Mbps |
For us, IPVanish came out slightly quicker, though you’ve probably seen other tests and reviews out there that tend to disagree. If so, that’ll be because there really isn’t much in it between these two.
Here’s one of few categories in our review that delivers a clear favourite. IPVanish can be purchased on a two-year plan for just $2.92 per month, against NordVPN’s $3.49 a month, making the former the cheaper deal.
Though some would certainly say that NordVPN wins out from a value for money perspective, as their most competitive price plans throw in trackers, ad-blockers, and cross-platform password managers as part of your deal – though you are essentially paying extra for the brand’s reputation here. We’ll leave you to decide which is best, as they both look like terrific value from where we’re standing.
NordVPN advertises an impressive 5,800 server locations, which span across 60 different countries in total. If you’ve read any of our other comparisons, you’ll know that this doesn’t make it the best VPN for server options by a mile, though these are some hugely respectable stats for sure.
By way of comparison, IPVanish offers 2,200 servers across 75 different locations, on top of unlimited bandwidth and the ability for you to choose between 40,000 different IP addresses. Again, it’s a very capable VPN server-wise. In fact, both companies have a hell of a lot to offer in this category.
Should the security-conscious among you go for NordVPN or IPVanish? Well, a lot of people tend to shout about the water-tight nature of NordVPN’s RAM-disk servers and their AES 256-bit encrypted data tunnels. However, those of you with a keen eye will spot that remarkably similar tools are in use over at IPVanish, too.
IPVanish also comes with that impressive selection of 40,000+ dynamic IP addresses, giving you endless options whenever you feel the need to switch. That said, many tech wizzes swear by NordVPN as having some of the most secure servers in the business. At our end, we’d feel bubble-wrapped with either one of these uber-secure VPNs.
On the topic of user-friendliness, is NordVPN better than IPVanish? Well, the Nordic-inspired server map offered by NordVPN is really easy to use, so long as you didn’t flunk Geography in school, but we’re bigger fans of IPVanish’s learning-focused interface, which will definitely appeal more to beginners who want to get their heads around what makes a VPN tick.
IPVanish offers full peer-to-peer (P2P) compatibility, something that will for sure appeal to any torrenters among you. They also protect their users against speed throttling and DDoS attacks, which is tech-speak for “they’re good for gaming”, too.
You’ll find comparable features with NordVPN for sure, as well as excellent streaming capabilities if one of your end goals here is to unlock hidden Netflix content that’s restricted to certain geographical locations. We also love NordVPN’s easy-to-use data breach scanner, and its excellent ad-blocking tools, which come in real handy when online shopping, or perusing spammy news websites.
Still unsure whether either of these is right for you? Here are some other sensible alternatives:
Offering 3,000 servers in more than 90 different countries, ExpressVPN is a fantastic choice in terms of flexibility. They also have a top-tier rep for security and privacy, too.
Surfshark offers lightning-fast speeds and a user interface that’s an ideal fit for VPN first-timers. Their plans are also incredibly affordable, and come in many shapes and sizes.
With no leaks, no logs, and water-tight servers, ProtonVPN is one of the best VPNs out there from a security standpoint. They’re also great for streaming and remote work.
There’s a recurring theme to this review, and it’s this – both NordVPN and IPVanish are incredible VPNs, and we don’t think any user would feel disappointed in any way with either of them.
Nevertheless, if it’s a question of NordVPN vs IPVanish on price, the latter offers the cheapest price plans to those of you who are on a budget, and offers amazing features for gamers and those who enjoy torrenting, too. Conversely, if you’re looking at the two from more of a security or reputation side, NordVPN is a little longer in the tooth and generally has a greater brand image and rep.
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