PureVPN vs IPVanish
The market for virtual private networks (VPNs) is highly competitive, with a number of excellent products available. Each VPN has its own benefits and drawbacks, so which one should you choose? We’ve taken a look at two of the most highly acclaimed VPNs around, PureVPN and IPVanish, and tested them on a range of criteria to see which one comes out on top.
Last updated 10th October 2024
NordVPN is the clear winner in this comparison thanks to its high number of servers, WireGuard support, and broader compatibility. However, that doesn’t mean that IPVanish is no good.
In fact, it shares many of NordVPN’s features while also being cheaper, making it a good option for budget-minded users. Not to mention, its sleek user interface makes it suitable for beginners.
Features Comparison
IPVanish | PureVPN | |
| Servers | 1300+ | 2000+ |
| Encryption | AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA key | AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA key |
| Devices | Unlimited | 10 |
Average Server Speed | 54 Mbps | 37 Mbps |
| Netflix Support | Yes | Yes |
Torrenting Support | Yes | Yes |
Customer Service | 24/7 live chat, email and phone | 24/7 email |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Pricing | Starts at $3.75/month | Starts at $3.33/month |
Money Back Guarantee | 7 days | 31 days |
PureVPN vs IPVanish - Full Comparison
Let’s take deeper dive into what makes each of these VPNs ideal competitors for each other.
Speed
When you set up a VPN, your connection is routed through servers in countries around the world to mask your activity.
Unfortunately, this process does usually lead to slightly lower internet speeds, and each VPN fares differently when comparing the speeds they manage to maintain.
When we tested IPVanish and PureVPN, our base internet connection speed was 30mbps – once connected to one of the products, we could safely assume that any dip below this figure was down to the VPN.
IPVanish managed to retain an average speed of almost 25mbps over tests across four servers, losing just 16% of its speed – a perfectly respectable result.
However, PureVPN is one of the leading VPNs around for a reason and, with an average speed of over 26mpbs, it proved to be marginally the faster service.
Security
Security takes the spotlight as the number one reason people even consider subscribing to a VPN service in the first place. With that said, both VPN services use standard AES-256 encryption, the same technology that large corporations and governments use for data protection.
However, IPVanish uses 4096-bit RSA keys, while PureVPN makes use of 2048-bit keys. Without getting into too many details, the difference isn’t that substantial, but 4096-bit keys provide a higher level of security.
Servers
When choosing your VPN, it’s important to check the number of servers available.
The more servers in different countries you can connect to, the easier you should find it to get a reliable, fast connection – and if you require a VPN to access region-specific content (see Streaming below for more details) then the wider range of countries covered by your VPN, the more access you will be able to get.
IPVanish offers in excess of 1,400 servers in 75 locations around the world, a sizeable network that allow for high speeds and robust connections. Once again, though, PureVPN has the edge – with 2,000+ servers in over 140 countries, it has one of the largest server lists going.
Features
One of the most important benefits of a VPN is the security it provides, so it’s important that you sign up to a service you can trust.
PureVPN and IPVanish both provide a range of excellent security features designed to ensure your online activity remains private – they each provide a kill switch, which disconnects you from the internet automatically if you lose your VPN connection, preventing your activity from being made public.
Both services also offer split-tunnelling, which allows you to choose which apps go through the VPN – so if some of your activity requires the lower security and higher speeds of an unprotected connection, you can set this up.
After testing, we found it impossible to pick between the two products based on their features – each offered all of the most important features required of a VPN and both operate a no-logs policy.
They’re even equal when it comes to simultaneous connections – IPVanish allows you to connect up to 10 devices at once, and PureVPN has recently increased their allowance to 10 as well!
DNS Leak Protection
DNS leaking is a big no for VPN services as your data could be vulnerable, and you won’t even know it. Thankfully, IPVanish boasts a robust DNS leak protection system that redirects all DNS requests.
And while PureVPN has a similar protection system, it fails to provide adequate protection. Several DNS leak test tools have shown that PureVPN isn’t immune to DNS leaks.
Streaming
If you’ve ever tried to watch a new show from a foreign country only to find an error message saying “this programme is unavailable in your country”, you’ll know just how frustrating geo-blocking can be.
Many of the world’s most popular streaming apps – Netflix, Sky Go and Disney Plus to name just three – offer region-specific content libraries that can only be accessed in a certain country, but a VPN allows you to bypass these restrictions by tricking the content blocker into thinking you are in that country.
This is one category in which PureVPN has a clear edge, making it by far the better option if your main reason for requiring a VPN is accessing region-specific content. PureVPN was able to bypass geo-blocking filters on all of the streaming apps we tested, whereas IPVanish was unable to do so for any of them.
Torrenting
The controversy surrounding torrenting will persist – torrents are legal, but some people use them to download copyrighted material illegally – has led to a number of ISPs blocking access to popular torrent sites and software.
Not all VPNs support torrenting software, but both IPVanish and PureVPN not only enable you to use torrents, they provide special servers that are optimised specifically for file-sharing apps. However, PureVPN prevents you from accessing P2P software via software locations where torrenting laws are stricter – for example the US and the UK – so you may need to try a few options before finding a server that will work.
Gaming
If you enjoy regular online gaming, a VPN has a couple of major benefits that can make your experience more enjoyable.
Firstly, you may find that during peak hours your ISP limits your bandwidth, which can lead to buffering and lag when you’re playing online – a VPN hides your online activity from your ISP, so they can’t monitor your use and restrict your bandwidth when you’re playing games.
Secondly, a VPN allows you to access geo-blocked games – some games are released early, or released exclusively, in specific countries – by connecting to the internet via a server in the relevant country, you can access these games.
PureVPN and IPVanish both allowed access to region-specific content and prevented our ISP from throttling our bandwidth during test, so if gaming is your key concern then either will meet your needs. That said, the superior speeds and larger server base you get with PureVPN make it the marginally better product in this category.
Free Trial
IPVanish does not offer a free trial, although if you are unsatisfied with their service they do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. PureVPN does provide a free 7-day trial of their premium service, giving you plenty of time to see if it suits your requirements.
Pricing
PureVPN’s pricing plans start at $10.95 for a one-month plan and drop to as little as $1.32 per month for a five-year plan. IPVanish’s one-month plan is slightly cheaper at $10, but they offer less significant reductions for longer-term plans – a one-year plan works out at $6.49 per month, while a two-year plan costs $3.70 per month.
As you can tell, both services cost roughly the same. It’s also worth noting that both IPVanish and PureVPN offer a money-back guarantee. However, IPVanish’s refund policy allows you to request a refund within 7 days only from the date of your subscription, while PureVPN has a more generous 31-day window.
Support
Both PureVPN and IPVanish have excellent dedicated support including a live chat feature that offers 24/7 support if you experience technical difficulties. They also both provide detailed tutorials on how to get the most out of your VPN.
Platforms & Devices
Both IPVanish and PureVPN are available on almost all popular platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. They’re also compatible with routers and ChromeOS.
One of the areas where IPVanish clearly has the upper edge over PureVPN is the number of simultaneous connections per account. IPVanish lets you connect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously, while PureVPN limits the number to 10 devices. Nevertheless, not everyone will need to connect more than 10 devices simultaneously.
Protocols
By default, both IPVanish and PureVPN use the open-source OpenVPN protocol on any device that’s not Apple-branded. On iOS and macOS, the services use IKEv2 and IPSec.
Pros & Cons
IPVanish
Pros
- Excellent customer support
- Better encryption
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Fast speeds
- P2P support
Cons
- Limited number of servers
PureVPN
Pros
- 2000+ servers in 140 countries
- Supports torrenting
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- No the fastest speeds
- Poor DNS leak protection
Verdict
To recap our IPVanish vs. PureVPN comparison, IPVanish blows PureVPN out of the water in most compartments.
However, keep in mind that while IPVanish undoubtedly offers a more sophisticated feature set than PureVPN, PureVPN is still an excellent choice for those who live in cities that aren’t adequately covered by IPVanish, especially that PureVPN has more servers and better geographical distribution.
