With so many VPN service providers vying for your custom, how do you choose the one that is best suited to your needs? Nobody wants to shell out for a service that subsequently doesn’t support the platform or devices it is needed for. If you have been exploring the options, you’ve probably come across Ivacy VPN. This Virtual Private Network provider claims to be ‘the most advanced’out there. But is it? In this Ivacy VPN review, I aim to find out.
Table of Contents
Ivacy VPN – Putting it to the Test
Practically every VPN service provider claims to be the fastest and, in my experience, the only way of ever knowing if the claim is true is to test it. And, as you will see below that is exactly what I did, both close to home and far away.
While Ivacy has garnered enough satisfied subscribers to rank alongside the best available to the public. The fact that it’s a relative newcomer to the VPN market cannot be overlooked. Even with 250-plus servers in an impressive 100 locations, my test of the service was more concerned about platform and device compatibility, and actual levels of security and privacy delivered. I was also keen to discover if this VPN provides value for money and a decent standard of customer support.
Pros
- Military Grade 256-Bit Encryption
- Torrenting allowed
- High-end P2P servers
- No DNS logs
- More than 275 servers in over 100 locations worldwide
- Split Tunneling
- You can connect up to five devices simultaneously
- Supports multiple VPN Protocols
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switches
- IPV6 Leak Protection
- Kill switch
- Secure DNS add-on available
- Competitively priced packages
- 7-day money back guarantee
- Five-star Trust Pilot rating
Cons
- Some VPNs offer more extended money back guarantees promises
- A few VPNs offer unlimited simultaneous device connections
- While speeds are decent, the client can slow your computer down
- Pop-up message service doesn’t work
Ivacy VPN Pricing
Not all VPN providers offer a 24-month price plan. This one does. In fact, you can’t miss the cost savings of committing to Ivacy for a whole two years. When I visited the company’s website, I was presented with three choices. Each offers the same level of service and features, but the price shifts quite dramatically downwards the longer you sign up for.
At $8.95, the monthly price plan closely mirrors that of competitors. This type of package is useful for someone who needs a temporary VPN service, for example, while travelling. However, long-term, it works out expensive.
I would recommend the 12-month plan ($4.08 per month) currently on offer with an additional year for free.
This comes in considerably cheaper than PureVPN’s two-year deal at $3.54 per month.
Payment options include PayPal, debit and credit cards, including American Express. Additionally, there is BitPay, and a whole host of coin payment choices, Perfect Money and Paymentwall.
Platform and Software Options
Ivacy VPN boasts clients for devices on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android platforms. Meaning, it provides both a computer-based and mobile online privacy option. It also has software that can be manually configured to work on Linux, which is a real plus point, as well as routers and gaming consoles.
Personally, I think it is the VPN provider of choice for those who need a VPN for torrenting or Kodi.
However, and more importantly, I wouldn’t consider a VPN provider that couldn’t offer me protection on-the-go. I use Wi-Fi hotspots via my smartphone on a daily basis. So, the thought of my data not being encrypted in these known danger areas fills me with dread. Fortunately, Ivacy provides all the security and privacy features you need, wherever you are. That’s great to know.
Because of its huge network of servers and their locations, this is one of the few VPNs to allow subscribers to avoid the gaze of ISPs and access streaming services. I managed to view both Netflix and Hulu using Ivacy, which I think gives this VPN the edge over quite a few competitors.
Ivacy VPN Security Features
Ivacy’s standard security suite includes OpenVPN, PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, and IKEv2, with military-grade 256-bit encryption. It also offers split tunnelling, IPv6 leak protection and leak protection with a secure DNS add-on option.
Your anonymity will be protected even if you lose your connection to the VPN. Why? Because a kill switch is located in its client/software, which is fantastic. While a reasonably essential feature, and included in VPN software provided by many competitors, it is still worth mentioning.
It is vital to protect users even during minimal cut-out periods. After all, it only takes a split second for your privacy and security to be breached.
With unlimited data transfer and optimised servers, it’s easy to see why this VPN is popular for P2P sharing/torrenting. It’s been designed for it. That is another plus point for Ivacy because some VPN service providers do not support P2P. An example of which is TunnelBear.
Torrenting is made even easier on Windows with Ivacy’s Smart Purpose Selection which allows you to specify the purpose of your connection. Once you have done that, you will be automatically prompted to connect to the server that will best facilitate your intended use.
Anonymity and Privacy
Ivacy VPN security has been developed to offer superior protection at every level. If you are looking for a VPN provider that promises no logs and offers multiple protocols, Ivacy has got the lot. You can be certain that all of your online activities are private and secure. Plus a NAT firewall thrown in as standard, I loved that bit.
Other noteworthy features include split tunnelling and DDoS protection. This means only sensitive or important data travels via the VPN. That allows ISPs and other prying eyes only ever to be able to detect regular traffic.
Ivacy Sign Up Process
I found the sign-up process for Ivacy VPN a painless experience. Selecting the right option for me was easy. At first, I tried the manual option for Windows 8.1. That required me to follow a tutorial provided by Ivacy. After which I was set up and connected in a little under 10-minutes.
However, my advice to you would be to visit the downloads section and select the client for your device. Once I realised that was the better option, I logged out of my connection and installed the software.
After downloading and installing the software on Windows, which took a couple of minutes. The software automatically launched. I was prompted to enter my username/email and a password and then I was good to go.
After that, it was a matter of choosing a server, along with other options, it was pretty easy. As for design, the client interface is sophisticated, compared to others I’ve tried. It’s clean and clear, and I think to the point. It lacked the almost childish look of minimalist, clunky alternatives. Ivacy guarantees an uptime of 99%, and it did not let me down during my initial 2-hour testing time.
Ivacy Server Speeds
With a reputation for providing generous download and upload speeds no matter where you connect. I sat out to see how much my max 40mbps (not today see above) download and max 12mbps upload speed would be affected.
Test Number One
I started by choosing a New York Based server; now I am based in the UK. So, the distance from me to it is roughly 3,459-miles. Now, it’s worth noting that, my ISP wasn’t providing me with an optimal service. According to Speedtest.net I was getting 36.70mbps download and 9.32mbps upload.
So, on firing up of the Ivacy client, I selected the Big Apple and tested again.
The result was I had lost 14.40mbps in download speed, so it was at 22.30mbps. As for the upload speed, it went from 9.32mbps to 7.89mbps, a significantly smaller drop than I had expected.
Test Number Two
For this next test, I decided to try out a UK based server. Unfortunately, the client did not allow me to chose a specific server, although I can confirm I don’t live next door to one.
The result, both my download and upload speeds were affected. Although, as you would imagine from within side the same country, not by much. Download speed dropped to 35.84mbps, and upload speed to 9.12mbps.
In my experience, the VPN generally offered consistent download and upload speeds. It performed better on uploads, but the difference was minuscule. Will those using different operating systems see different results? I seriously doubt it; however, I can say that the client did slow down my laptop a little. But, I had expected it to do so.
Obviously, the server you choose will have an effect on the speeds you ultimately see. As will the service your ISP provides you with along with protocols used. These certainly are not the fastest VPN speeds I have encountered, ExpressVPN has that title, but they’re good enough for streaming or downloading!
Customer Support
Ivacy’s support centre is stuffed full of helpful articles – 28 on getting started, 37 set-up guides and 14 offering advice on technical issues. In addition, the support included a FAQs section. There is a search tool too, which will help you save time when looking for an answer to a question.
Final Thoughts
Ivacy VPN security is probably one of the better available to the public. For a company whose name is derived from the word privacy, it is what you would expect. I recommend Ivacy VPN for those looking for a P2P platform because it appears to have been developed for it.
Download and upload times achieved while using the VPN were acceptable and did not detract from the overall user experience. I felt confident my security and privacy was being protected while I was online, and I liked the fact that I could stream.
Now, if for whatever reason, you are not convinced that Ivacy is for you. Take a look at our VPN Review section for inspiration. It’s growing daily, as I and others add to it.