IPVanish vs PIA VPN
Boasting global server coverage and fast connection speeds, IPVanish is a force to be reckoned with in the VPN industry. However, it’s not the most wallet-friendly VPN service available.
Private Internet Access (PIA), on the other hand, flaunts great connection speeds and top-notch privacy measures at a pretty reasonable price. Which of the two services is better? Stick around to find out.
Last updated 7th October 2024
PIA VPN just edges this comparison with IPVanish – but it was mightily close.
PIA shaded the better scores and ratings in almost all of our tests (except torrenting), however IPVanish wasn’t too far behind. The decision maker will likely be price and PIA is much more reasonable and offers a better VPN all round.
IPVanish vs PIA VPN - Full Comparison
Speed
Our testing of VPN speed covers not only download speed, but also upload speed as well as their server ping. To conduct our tests, we relied on a 5Mbps internet connection.
IPVanish managed to pull off a 4.50Mbps download speed, but PIA beat it by scoring 4.64Mbps. As far as the upload speed, IPVanish had an average of around 0.64Mbps, whereas PIA scored 0.36 Mbps, which is comparatively subpar.
To conduct our ping tests, we used both Google DNS and Speedtest.net. With IPVanish, the ping on Google DNS was around 150ms, while PIA displayed considerably lower latency with a 105ms ping. On Speedtest, IPVanish had a 279ms ping, whereas PIA flaunted an exceptionally low ping of around 80ms. All things considered, Private Internet Access is the winner.
Streaming
If you’re subscribed to a streaming service and you’re looking to enjoy geo-blocked content, you need a VPN that’s able to by-pass such limitations. IPVanish’s streaming capabilities aren’t quite reliable, in our experience. Yes, we were able to connect to Netflix on many US servers, but we sometimes got disconnected for some reason. In addition, accessing Netflix or BBC iPlayer on a UK server didn’t work.
IPVanish is a hit-or-miss when it comes to streaming, so if you’re interested in using it, we highly recommend getting in touch with customer service to find out whether it’ll be of help in your area or not.
Private Internet Access isn’t any better from IPVanish, but it doesn’t really claim that it’s able to access any streaming services. We managed to access Netflix on some US servers, but when it was time to check out other streaming services (US-based), we were denied.
We wouldn’t recommend IPVanish or Private Internet Access to anyone who’s looking to enjoy reliable streaming capabilities. ExpressVPN is the ultimate VPN for accessing streaming sites.
Torrenting
There’s no better way to mask your P2P activities than to use a VPN. However, not all VPNs are the same when it comes to torrenting. IPVanish allows torrenting/P2P activity on all its servers in over 50 countries. Further, IPVanish doesn’t keep customer activity logs, meaning your activities are as hidden as can be.
Private Internet Access also allows P2P activity on all of its servers and it doesn’t keep any logs. However, PIA’s coverage is inferior to that of IPVanish, as it only covers 32 countries, which gives the latter the win automatically.
Gaming
Based on the results of our speed tests, it’s quite clear that Private Internet Access is the better VPN service when it comes to gaming since it displayed lower pings (latency) than its rival.
The lower the ping, the smoother your online gaming becomes, as latency is an indication of the time required for the server to receive your action and send a response.
In terms of security, both IPVanish and Private Internet Access have industry-standard protocols covering OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP, so your connection is completely secure.
Furthermore, both providers have IPv6 and DNS leak protection as well as kill switch protection. Both are also able to block ads, malware, and trackers, so it’s clearly a tie as far as security.
Free Trial
Both IPVanish and PIA don’t offer a free trial. However, they both have a 30-day guarantee, so you can give either one a try, and if you’re not completely satisfied, you’re eligible for a refund.
Subscription Plans
If you opt for a 1-month plan with IPVanish, you’ll pay $9.99, whereas a 1-month plan with PIA costs $6.95. An annual plan with IPVanish costs $79.99, which is $6.59/m. With PIA, the yearly plan costs $39.95, which equates to $3.33/m. Obviously, PIA is the more affordable option.
Pros & Cons of IPVanish
Pros
- Great P2P support on many servers
- Many advanced security measures
- Works on many devices and platforms
- Fast and stable connection speeds
- Transparent privacy measures
Cons
- Not the most reliable for streaming
- Displayed comparatively high ping
Pros & Cons of PIA VPN
Pros
- Fast and stable connection speeds
- Perfect VPN service for gaming
- Extremely fast download speeds
- World-class security measures
- Budget-friendly subscription plans
Cons
- Not reliable with streaming sites
- Not the best torrenting coverage
Verdict
While IPVanish offers a very solid and reliable VPN product, it was beaten by fine margins in almost all areas of testing by PIA VPN.
To add to that, PIA VPN offers a more reasonable pricing structure then it’s hard to find reasons for choosing IPVanish over it’s rival in this test.
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