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PureVPN-vs-IPVanish--

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is the winner!

As I performed this IPVanish vs PureVPN comparison, I found that PureVPN is the winner over IPVanish because it has a wider server coverage with 6,500+ servers in 140+ countries. It is also based in Hong Kong, which is safer than the USA (where IPVanish is based). Similarly, PureVPN is faster than IPVanish, offering 26.01 Mbps on a 30 Mbps connection. 

The VPN industry is growing by the day as new providers enter the market with their unique offerings. IPVanish and PureVPN are two of the longest-running providers in the industry and are well-known by veteran users.

In this article, we’re going to compare these two VPNs to determine which one is the better option, either PureVPN or IPVanish?

Privacy issues are increasing everywhere in the world, the need for VPNs among common users also grows. But it can be difficult to make the right choice for your needs from the vast pool of available VPNs in the market.

Setting up a Fight: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

To test which VPN performs the best, I have performed a side-by-side comparison between PureVPN and IPVanish, to which one takes the lead. These VPNs have competed on the following criteria:

  • Price – Which one is more affordable and provides a better refund policy?
  • Jurisdiction – Where is each provider headquartered?
  • Logging Policy – Which one has a better logging policy?
  • Speed – Which is faster in terms of download and upload speeds?
  • Server coverage – Which VPN offers more number of servers and server locations?
  • Device compatibility – Which VPN supports a wider range of devices and operating systems?
  • Customer support – Which VPN has a more professional and responsive team of customer representatives.
  • Torrenting – Analyzing torrenting and P2P support of each VPN to see which one is better for anonymity.
  • Unblocking strength – Which VPN can unblock Netflix and other services?
  • Security features – Which VPN offers better security features, encryption, and protocols?

Quick Comparison of PureVPN and IPVanish

Here is a quick VPN comparison of PureVPN and IPVanish.

Factors PureVPN IPVanish
Jurisdiction Hong Kong USA
Logging Policy No logs No logs
Pricing $3.29/mo (5 Months FREE + 84% Off on a 2-year plan) $3.75/mo
Speed 26.01 Mbps 24.86 Mbps
Server Network 6,500+ servers
140+ countries
1,600+ servers
75+ Locations
Customer Support Live chat Live chat
Torrenting Supported Supported
Netflix Unblocking Supported Inconsistent
Security Strong Strong
Website purevpn.com ipvanish.com

Detailed Comparison of PureVPN and IPVanish

PureVPN   It’s a Hong Kong-based VPN service known for its privacy-focused logging policy, server diversity, and unblocking power. It caters to users’ privacy and unblocking needs exceptionally well with its unique set of features and top-notch performance capabilities.

IPVanish It’s a US-based VPN service that distinguishes itself from the competition by offering some excellent features that can boost your online privacy and web security. The IPVanish apps are well-designed and perform outstandingly for all devices they are compatible with.

Moreover, you can find detailed information about IPVanish and PureVPN in our IPVanish review article and PureVPN Review.

1. Pricing Plans: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

PureVPN IPVanish
1-month plan: $10.95/mo 1-month plan: $10.99/mo
2-year plan: $3.29/mo (5 Months FREE + 84% Off on a 2-year plan) 1-year plan: $3.75/mo
Get PureVPN Get IPVanish

PureVPN – It is considered one of the most affordable VPN services. It offers two plans, i.e., a 1-month plan at $10.95/mo and a 2-year plan at $3.29/mo (5 Months FREE + 84% Off on a 2-year plan). Out of all the plans offered by PureVPN, its 2-year plan costing $3.29/mo (5 Months FREE + 84% Off on a 2-year plan) offers the best value for money. Also, as a bonus, PureVPN offers a 7-day trial for $0.99 only.

PureVPN-pricing-plans-in-USA

IPVanish – IPVanish is more affordable than PureVPN, coming at a low price of $3.75/ mo for its 1-year plan. It also offers two options for the users: VPN or VPN+Storage. You can either opt for the VPN-only plan or get VPN plus cloud storage plan. It doesn’t offer a free trial like PureVPN.

 

ipvanish-price-cart-in-USA

Payment method and Refund Policy

A Money-back guarantee is a great benefit for new users skeptical about these VPNs and wants to try them out before committing to the subscription fully. If you’re unsatisfied with the VPNs for any reason, you can claim your refund within a month.

PureVPN is better than IPVanish in terms of payment options.

PureVPN IPVanish
PayPal PayPal
Credit cards Credit cards
AliPay Not accepted
Cryptocurrency Not accepted
Union Pay Not accepted

IPVanish Payment Options & Refund– It only accepts PayPal and Credit Cards, while PureVPN offers more payment options. There is no option to currently buy a subscription via crypto.

 

It does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, it comes with an exception, “monthly customers do not qualify.” PureVPN, on the other hand, does not have this exception as the refund is available for all subscriptions.

 

PureVPN Payment Options & Refund– PureVPN offers a 31-day refund window. It also accepts cryptocurrencies, which is great for users that want to make anonymous payments. However, payment through crypto is non-refundable.

 

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is the obvious winner in this comparison of prices, the refund policy, and payment options. IPVanish is more affordable than PureVPN, but PureVPN offers a 7-day trial at a meager price. Also, it offers wider payment options, including cryptocurrency as compared to IPVanish. For these reasons, PureVPN has the better claim in terms of pricing.

2. Jurisdiction

PureVPN IPVanish
Hong Kong
(Safe)
United States
(Five Eyes – Unsafe)

It is important to look up the background and jurisdiction of service whilst selecting a VPN. The background tells us how trustworthy a service really is, while the jurisdiction affects a VPN’s data retention policy. Ideally, VPNs that don’t operate under the jurisdiction of 5-Eyes are safer than VPNs that are subject to strict surveillance laws.

PureVPN Jurisdiction – It began its operations in 2007 as a venture of Hong Kong-based GZ Systems. Hong Kong doesn’t have any data retention laws, making it a good place for any VPN to be located in.

IPVanish Jurisdiction – It is owned by StackPath, a company based in the US. Although there are no data retention laws in the US, the US is still a part of the Five Eyes alliance. Therefore, the presence of domestic spying and intelligence-gathering activities makes the US a less-than-ideal jurisdiction for a VPN.

Jurisdiction is a very crucial aspect when selecting a VPN provider. If the jurisdiction is located in a country such as the US, where any law enforcement authority can ask for user logs and data then it completely defeats the VPN purpose. Therefore, trusting IPVanish with your personal data wouldn’t be a smart decision. So using a provider like PureVPN, which supports user and privacy-friendly jurisdiction is the best decision. Also, we recently pitted PureVPN against a top-tier VPN provider and you can learn more about their brawl in ExpressVPN and PUREVPN comparison.

Along with Jurisdiction, the identity of the parent company of your VPN provider is also necessary. For example, you wouldn’t want to associate yourself with a provider like CyberGhost, whose parent company “Kape Technologies” is known for infecting users’ devices with malware in the past. While this is clearly a setback for CyberGhost, when it comes to protecting your online security and privacy, it is second to no one. We recently compared it with ExpressVPN and it gave a tough time to one of the top-tier VPN providers. Check out the clash in ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is based in the more privacy-friendly jurisdiction of Hong Kong, far from the reach of the Five Eyes. IPVanish is headquartered in the US, making the more privacy-conscious among us pull away from the VPN.

3. Logging Policy

Almost all premium VPNs claim to have a “strict no-logs policy.” However, when you dig deeper, you are more likely than not to find that the VPN actually does log some of your information. Let’s see how these two VPNs fare in this regard.

PureVPN IPVanish
Does not store user logs No traffic logs, but the overall policy unclear

Does PureVPN keep logs? – No, PureVPN does not keep logs. PureVPN’s privacy policy is quite reassuring. The provider clearly mentions that they refrain from logging any identifiable information such as IP address, DNS requests, or user traffic.

 

Does IPVanish keep logs? – IPVanish only mentions their stance on traffic logs, and it’s unclear what other logs they are storing, such as IP addresses, DNS, timestamps. While traffic logs tend to be the most revealing, metadata collection can also hurt users’ privacy. Despite having been located in the United States, IPVanish does not keep usage logs, but it does keep connection logs.

As of yet, there’s nothing conclusive about IPVanish’s logging policy when it comes to metadata.

IPVanish-logging-policy-in-USA

IPVanish collects user data like active email addresses and payment methods. Likewise, they also need a name, street address, city, state, zip code, and other basic information to process payments for their users. IPVanish also uses cookies on its site to collect information about how subscribers use the site. Despite bragging itself as a no-log VPN, IPVanish is still logging so much of their users’ information.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN wins this round due to the better transparency of its logging policy. Even though IPVanish doesn’t collect users’ traffic and activity, it isn’t clear whether they log user metadata.

4. Speed Results: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

PureVPN IPVanish
US: 29.07 Mbps US: 24.46 Mbps
UK: 29.34 Mbps UK: 24.91 Mbps
Germany: 20.85 Mbps Germany: 25.4 Mbps
Australia: 24.79 Mbps Australia: 24.86 Mbps
Avg. Download: 26.01 Mbps Avg. Download: 24.86 Mbps

To test the speed of both services, we used SpeedTest.net. A base internet connection of 30 Mbps was used to test the speed from 4 different server locations for each provider, including the US, UK, Germany, and Australia.

The good thing to note here is that both providers perform exceptionally when it comes to speed. PureVPN almost reaches the full 30 Mbps on US and UK servers but drops down a few levels for farther-located regions such as Germany and Australia. This was also the case in the Private Internet Access vs PureVPN comparison.

purevpn-speed-comparison-in-USA

On the other hand, IPVanish is remarkably consistent and delivers fast performance across all the servers tested, reaching as high as 24.91 Mbps on its UK server.

ipvanish-speed-comparison-in-USA

In our test, the average speed of PureVPN is 26.01 Mbps, and the average speed of IPVanish is 24.86 Mbps.

Although IPVanish and PureVPN are two of the fastest VPNs in the industry, PureVPN is even faster in comparison, as the results above show.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is once again the winner, but only by a small margin this time around. Although PureVPN is very fast, IPVanish is remarkably fast and only falls short slightly compared to PureVPN.

5. Servers in Countries: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

The server network plays an important part in the overall performance and capabilities of a VPN. A large server network will ensure fast speeds and zero disconnections. Let’s find out which provider offers a better server network.

PureVPN IPVanish
6500+ servers (140+ countries) 1600+ servers (75 locations)

PureVPN Server Network – PureVPN owns one of the most geographically diverse networks, offering 6500+ servers across 140+ countries. The geographical diversity of PureVPN’s network is one of its USPs. Almost every country on the globe is available in PureVPN’s network.

Purevpn-server-list

IPVanish Server Network – IPVanish, on the other hand, has 1600+ servers in 75+ locations. Although the server size is pretty good in both cases, IPVanish covers a lot fewer countries in its network as compared to PureVPN. IPVanish in no way has a small server list. However, the numbers tell the story when you put it against PureVPN.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN has a larger network of servers in terms of number as well as geographical coverage. IPVanish boasts a decent-sized network, but it lacks the geographical spread that PureVPN has.

6. Device Compatibility: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

Device compatibility is an important factor when it comes to VPNs. Although both services offer compatibility across a wide range of devices, let’s find out which one is better.

Multi-platform support

Compatibility PureVPN IPVanish
Android Yes Yes
iOS Yes Yes
Windows Yes Yes
macOS Yes Yes
Linux Yes Yes
Chrome Yes No
Firefox Yes No
Routers Yes Yes
Fire TV Yes Yes
Nook Yes No
Kindle Fire Yes No

PureVPN – PureVPN offers dedicated apps for all commonly used platforms and operating systems. You can get these apps for Windows, iOS, MacOS, Android, Fire TV, and more. Also, PureVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

purevpn-app-in-USA

IPVanish – IPVanish’s apps are nicely designed and can be set up easily on common platforms as well, including Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and more. However, it lacks extensions/add-ons for any browser. IPVanish does not offer dedicated apps for Windows Phone, Linux, Chromebook, or Routers. You will need to set it up manually.

Both VPNs are also compatible with Kodi and also offer dedicated Kodi add-ons. IPVanish on Kodi is one of the service’s USPs, and many loyal fans use IPVanish exclusively for its excellent Kodi compatibility.

Performance and Reliability

PureVPN has outstanding performance with a wide server network in 140+ locations all across the world. It also offers unlimited bandwidth, speed, and P2P. With one PureVPN account, you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. 

IPVanish offers similar features to PureVPN, but it has a smaller server coverage. It’s also not as strong as PureVPN when it comes to unblocking and bypassing firewalls. The only positive is that with one IPVanish account, you can connect unlimited devices simultaneously. You can also check out the detailed VPN comparison chart to get in-depth information on PureVPN and IPVanish’s performance.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is the winner because it supports a wider range of platforms as compared to IPVanish. With PureVPN, you can use browser extensions, making it really convenient to control the VPN for your browsing needs. IPVanish, on the other hand, offers no browser extensions at all.

7. Customer Support: IPVanish vs. PureVPN

PureVPN IPVanish
Live chat Live chat
Email ticketing Email ticketing
Knowledgebase/Tutorials Knowledgebase/Tutorials
None Telephone

PureVPN It has a strong customer support center which they primarily provide through live chat. They also have detailed tutorials to assist installation and configuration of their VPN apps for various devices. As a test, I asked them about the best server to use for watching U.S. Netflix, and they immediately got back to me with a solution.

IPVanish – It also offers live chat support in addition to telephonic support. The support articles are also quite useful and contain instructions and guides for installation and other general VPN-related queries. Every time I tried to contact them through live chat, I got the desired response promptly as their response was not automated.

Winner: Tie

In terms of customer support, both providers are equally matched and offer excellent, professional support teams that are always available to help users resolve their problems and answer their queries.

8. Torrenting/P2P: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

PureVPN IPVanish
Supports torrenting on various PureVPN servers Supports torrenting on all IPVanish servers

Torrenting and p2p activities are some of the major reasons why people use VPNs. Many internet users apply VPNs for safe torrenting, so some providers even offer dedicated optimized servers for torrenting.

PureVPN It supports torrenting on many of its servers. However, you won’t be able to perform p2p activities on server locations with strict anti-torrenting laws such as UK and US. The security and privacy features ensure that none of your secret activities get leaked, keeping you safe from receiving legal notices from authorities.

IPVanish It also supports torrenting on certain servers and is quite decent when it comes to unblocking torrent websites. You can download torrents by using the SOCKS5 proxy server that supports HTTP traffic and P2P BitTorrent client. The ability to incorporate SOCKS5 proxy for the fastest connection makes it one of the best VPN for torrenting.

With its excellent privacy features and fast speeds, you can easily enhance your torrent experience’s safety and gain access to blocked torrent channels with ease. Other P2P-friendly VPNs include NordVPN and Surfshark.

Note: We do not encourage either condone the use of torrenting to acquire copyrighted material illegally.

Winner: Tie

IPVanish and PureVPN are both efficient services for unblocking torrent websites and accessing fast-speed torrents.

9. PureVPN vs. IPVanish: Unblocking Strength

PureVPN IPVanish
Netflix Yes Yes
Hulu Yes No
Sky Go Yes No
Amazon Prime Video Yes No
BBC iPlayer Yes No
CBS Yes No

Streaming services are making it harder for VPNs to bypass their firewalls and filters. As such, many VPNs today are unable to access streaming services that were previously easy to access.

The ability to unblock different Netflix regions, especially the US, is getting rarer among VPNs. Many services which used to work perfectly well with Netflix in the past are now blocked for the streaming platform.

PureVPN Unblocking Test: The good news is PureVPN is still one of the last remaining VPNs that can get you access to US Netflix. That said, you can encounter the Netflix proxy error at least once or twice on the U.S. library of Netflix. But after switching to a different U.S server, you should be able to unblock the U.S Netflix successfully.

PureVPN-working-netflix-desktop-app-in-USA

PureVPN working Netflix desktop app

The VPN also works well for some other popular streaming platforms, like you can watch BBC iPlayer. I was also able to test PureVPN with Disney Plus, Hulu, Plex, and Amazon Prime Video and found its performance great.

purevpn-bbc-iplayer-in-USA

IPVanih Unblocking Test: IPVanish does unblock US Netflix. To verify its Netflix unblocking feature, I tried unblocking Netflix using a US server, and it worked like a charm.

ipvanish-unblocked-us-netflix-in-USA

Unfortunately, IPVanish faces unblocking popular streaming sites like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. In the case of  Hulu and BBC iPlayer, it wasn’t able to unblock them. As a result, IPVanish is not a reliable choice for streaming. This was also the case in PIA vs IPVanish, where IPVanish managed to unblock Netflix US on most of its servers but it failed to unblock the British streaming site – BBC iPlayer.

Exploring the question, Does PureVPN work with Hulu? through extensive tests on diverse USA servers revealed positive results. PureVPN promptly unblocked Hulu and maintained satisfactory speed for HD streaming, solidifying its reliability. For users seeking effective access to Hulu with seamless, high-quality streaming, PureVPN stands as a dependable choice.

Winner: PureVPN

PureVPN is far more efficient for unblocking streaming service, including Netflix. IPVanish is not a reliable option for accessing streaming services anymore.

10. Security Features: PureVPN vs. IPVanish

PureVPN IPVanish
PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN
NAT Firewall Does not offer NAT Firewall
DDoS Protection Does not have DDoS Protection
Does not offer SOCKS5 proxy SOCKS5 proxy
Split-tunneling Split-tunneling (Android only)
Kill switch Kill switch
10 simultaneous connections Unlimited simultaneous connections

To evaluate the security level provided by a VPN, the standard is to analyze their protocols and encryption. Therefore, I have done the same in this PureVPN vs. IPVanish comparison. You can say that both PureVPN and IPVanish are well-rounded when it comes to security features.

PureVPN-Kill-Switch-in-USA

PureVPN Kill Switch

The highest encryption level offered by these services is AES 256-bit encryption.  This is the same encryption used by banks and government institutions. Hence, hackers and vigilant agencies will not be snooping around your personal information any time soon with PureVPN and IPVanish.

As for the tunneling protocols, IPVanish supports OpenVPN, PPTP, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPSec. PureVPN offers Stealth protocol in addition to the ones provided by IPVanish.

IPVanish Kill Switch 

Overall, both providers offer valuable features for encryption, tunneling, and extra mechanisms for boosting privacy.

Winner: Tie

PureVPN and IPVanish are both remarkable VPNs for security and privacy.

Final Verdict: PureVPN is the winner !

PureVPN wins this contest against IPVanish due to a larger server network, faster speeds, lower cost, and a logging policy.

Based on the factors discussed above, PureVPN provides excellent value for money. IPVanish, for its part, is a well-respected VPN brand itself and offers a lot of valuable features. Unfortunately, it falls short of the standard that PureVPN sets in the world of VPNs.

Therefore, while both of these VPNs are excellent in their own right, if you want better value for money, PureVPN is a better choice on paper.

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