Where some VPNs think small, IPVanish takes the opposite tack. It opens in a big multi-tabbed window, showing a map of where you’re currently connected to, surrounded by lots of technical details and controls.
That makes for a daunting first impression, but it’s actually pretty easy to get started. Click the Server Selection tab and you’ll see three big friendly buttons for connecting to the US, UK or Canada, as well as an icon for “Fastest Server”. A single click gets you securely online, but note that, although the icon label promises access to “US Media”, you won’t be able to watch US Netflix from here.
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If you want more options, you can click the List option at the top of the frame to see individual details of IPVanish’s 500+ servers, scattered across 59 different countries. Or, click Map to open a draggable globe, peppered with exit-node “hotspots” which you can click on to connect.
In truth, most of us don’t need that level of control, any more than we need the drop-down menu at the top of the screen that lets you switch between network protocols (including L2TP and PPTP). Clearly, IPVanish aims to satisfy more technical users; that’s also reflected in the range of advanced settings on offer, including options to change your IP address periodically and to view extensive diagnostic logs.
The good news is, it’s not priced at a professional level. At £58 per year, IPVanish is quite a bit cheaper than Buffered, and not too far off the likes of HideMyAss! Pro and NordVPN. That subscription lets you connect from up to five different devices, and there’s support not only for the mainstream platforms but also Linux and Windows Phone. You can set up VPN details in a compatible router too, and IPVanish thoughtfully provides instructions for accessing the private network from a Chromebook.
In our performance test, however, IPVanish didn’t quite match the performance of Hotspot Shield or TunnelBear. Connecting via the US, we saw our download speeds fall to 58% of our unprotected rate. That’s acceptable for private browsing, but it might be frustrating if you want to take advantage of IPVanish’s support for unlimited torrenting.
You should also note that IPVanish is based in the US, which is a “Five Eyes” nation. While your online activities won’t be directly monitored or logged, any information the company does hold about you could be scooped up and shared with other intelligence agencies, including those here in the UK. You can protect your privacy to an extent by paying with Bitcoin, but the company will still have a record of your home IP address, so maybe IPVanish isn’t the perfect choice for big-league whistleblowing.
Verdict
All the same, IPVanish could very well suit the more technically minded hacker who likes to get hands-on with their network settings. And the map display makes you feel a bit like you’re in a 1990s thriller, which is quite apt for a system designed to conceal your digital communications from the authorities.