There are a lot of great VPNs on the market today, meaning you will have a whole host of options to select from. Two of the leading options are NordVPN and IPVanish. But which one is going to be the best for you? Below, I will compare both options in full to help you get a better understanding.
Before I continue, though, I have comprehensively reviewed both services, so I recommend checking the reviews out so you can get the full picture of each service. You can check out my NordVPN review and IPVanish review to find out more.
IpVanish vs NordVPN
A BASIC OVERVIEW OF NORDVPN AND IPVANISH
Let’s take a look at the basics of both platforms to begin with. The jurisdiction of any VPN is important, as different countries have different rules and regulations in place when it comes to data retention and sharing. NordVPN is based in one of the safest locations in the world; Panama. This is a great place for a VPN, as the country is not bound by any data-sharing requirements.
On the flip side, IPVanish is based in one of the worst areas for a VPN; the United States. The United States is entered in the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance agreements, which means that it agrees to share data with other countries. The good news is that IPVanish does not hold onto any logs. Therefore, there should not be any data for IPVanish to share with the authorities should they be asked to do so. However, I would certainly rather a VPN that was based somewhere whereby data sharing agreements weren’t in the equation in any case.
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: LOGGING
As I discussed logging in the former paragraph, I am going to elaborate on this a little bit further. For those who are unaware, logging refers to holding data logs on customers. When looking for a VPN, you want a provider that does not hold onto any information about you. After all, isn’t using a VPN all about anonymity and security?
The good news is that both IPVanish and NordVPN claim that they do not collect any logs, and there does not seem to be any indicators otherwise. I have dug into the small print for both VPN providers, which backs up their claims.
However, NordVPN does edge IPVanish in this department, and there is one reason for this; NordVPN has had an independent audit carried out by a third party. This audit has substantiated the claims that NordVPN does not collect any logs. I would certainly like to see IPVanish follow suit and do the same thing.
WINNER: NordVPN
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: SERVER AVAILABILITY
In terms of the different countries that are available, it is pretty even. However, the real difference lies in terms of the number of servers for each platform. IPVanish has over 1,600 servers whereas NordVPN has more than 5,400 servers.
Server coverage is pretty equal, though, in terms of the countries covered. In total, NordVPN has servers in 59 countries and IPVanish has servers in 53 countries. For NordVPN, this includes seven in America, 36 in Europe, 11 in the Asia Pacific, and 4 in the Middle East & Africa. It is a similar story for IPVanish. They have nine in America, 32 in Europe, 8 in the Asia Pacific, and 4 in the Middle East & Africa.
WINNER: NordVPN
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: SECURITY
Security and privacy are undoubtedly two of the main elements that you need to consider when looking for a VPN provider. While you would expect all VPNs to offer great security features, this is, unfortunately, not always the case. In fact, a lot of the free VPNs on the market today can be more of a security risk than a help.
Luckily, that is not the case with IPVanish and NordVPN, as they both provide excellent levels of security. Let’s start off with NordVPN. NordVPN provides a selection of excellent privacy features, including a number of great protocols and Onion over VPN. If you are not familiar with Onion over VPN, this means that all of your traffic is going to re-routed via the Onion network for optimal security.
Security features
Both IPVanish and NordVPN provide a kill switch. This is a critical security feature because it makes sure that your original IP address will remain hidden even if your Internet connection does drop out. This is the only way to make sure that you are genuinely protected at all times.
IPVanish also brings a number of great tools to the table as well. You can select from various protocols, including the option to customise OpenVPN, and the rock-solid IKEv2. You can read my comparison of all of the different VPN protocols to get a better understanding.
One of my favourite features on IPVanish is what is known as “Scramble,” which will hide the fact that you are utilizing a VPN at all. This is especially beneficial if you are based in a location whereby Internet and VPN usage are both heavily restricted, like China.
What about encryption?
Of course, encryption is a key area to consider no matter what VPN you decide to go with. Encryption will make sure that all of your personal data is masked. Therefore, even if a hacker was to gain access to the VPN, they would not be able to read your data. Both NordVPN and IPVanish implement AES-256 encryption, which is the industry standard. You do have the option of changing to a different encryption method if you prefer. NordVPN provides options such as IKEv2/ IPSec, SHA2-384, and PFS. IPVanish provides IKEv2, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec VPN protocols.
WINNER: DRAW
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: PERFORMANCE
Speed and performance are two of the most critical factors that you need to consider when looking for a VPN. We all know that using a VPN is going to slow down our connection a little bit. However, you do not want it to slow you down to the point whereby it is just frustrating.
I have carried out a number of different speed tests on both NordVPN and IPVanish to get a better understanding. Both VPNs certainly impressed me with regard to their connection speed, with both NordVPN and IPVanish connecting in just a matter of seconds.
Overall, I did enjoy better speed and performance when using NordVPN. There haven’t been any slowdowns when connecting to one of the NordVPN servers. However, one area where IPVanish does outshine NordVPN is when it comes to connections with the United States, which is IPVanish’s home turf. The performance was better on US servers when using IPVanish, so this is certainly something that is worth considering if your primary reason for using a VPN is to access servers within the United States.
WINNER: NordVPN, unless you want to connect to US servers
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: STREAMING
One of the main reasons why a lot of people use VPNs is because they want to be able to stream different services. Netflix is typically the most popular one. People want to access different Netflix libraries so that they can watch their favourite shows.
If this is your reason for considering a VPN, there really is only one option in my opinion: NordVPN. NordVPN is effective at accessing Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and US-only YouTube content. I have not run into any difficulties when it comes to using NordVPN for streaming purposes.
This is significant because the likes of Netflix have put advanced tools in place in an effort to block out VPNs, and consequently a lot of VPNs are not able to get past this. However, NordVPN passes the test.
In fact, I was delighted to see that IPVanish worked effectively with Netflix as well. Unfortunately, I did not have the same luck when trying to access BBC iPlayer via IPVanish. It simply did not work, and so this is where IPVanish really falls short.
WINNER: NordVPN
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: P2P AND TORRENTING
NordVPN and IPVanish are both excellent options in terms of torrenting. Both of the VPN providers offer a free SOCKS5 proxy, which enables you to make downloads with encryption and without your connection being slowed down.
The main difference between the two VPN providers is that NordVPN has a specialised P2P list and IPVanish allows P2P on every server. However, NordVPN has approximately three times the amount of servers that IPVanish does, and so, in theory, this should not really make a difference because overpopulation is not something you are going to need to worry about.
WINNER: Draw
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: MOBILE APPS
If you’re planning on using the mobile version of a VPN, you will want to make sure that the app comes with all of the necessary features and that it is easy to use. You will be pleased to learn that both VPNs deliver good apps! They are instantly recognisable; NordVPN has the familiar pastel map with all of the different servers dotted across it, and IPVanish has that green and black scheme we have come to associate with the brand.
The NordVPN map does not work as effectively on a mobile phone screen as it does on a desktop screen. The limited space does not play into this sort of design’s hands. However, the app is certainly fully functional, and you will get all of the same features that you get with the desktop version of the VPN. this means Onion over VPN, a kill switch, double VPN, protocol switching, and much more.
The IPVanish app does not disappoint either. You get a lot of features with both the iOS and Android version of the app. However, it is disappointing to see that there is no kill switch with the iOS version. This is disappointing, as a kill switch ensures you are protected even if your Internet connection drops out – a very important feature! I think IPVanish needs to integrate a few more features and then there will be nothing to complain about in this department.
WINNER: NordVPN
NORDVPN VS IPVANISH: PRICING
Of course, you will want to make sure that you get a good deal when choosing a VPN. As is the case with most VPNs, the longer the plan, the cheaper it becomes per month. This is certainly the case for both NordPVN and IPVanish. Out of all of the plans, though, NordVPN’s two-year plan is most certainly the cheapest.
IPVanish does sweeten the deal with all of their subscriptions, though, providing a free 250GB SugarSync plan, so this is definitely something worth considering.
I was pleased to see that both IPVanish and NordVPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, if you sign up for one of the plans and you are not happy with the service received, you can receive a refund so long as you apply for it in the first 30 days.
WINNER: NordVPN
Final words
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of NordVPN and IPVanish. There are pros and cons associated with both options, but I have to crown NordVPN as the winner. It is a great all-rounder, ticking every box, from security to streaming. With an excellent level of service and a massive server selection, NordVPN won’t let you down.