IPVanish Expert Review
US-based VPN with solid features but trust issues from past, analyzed by Tom Spark
IPVanish scores 47 out of 93.5 points, placing it in the D-tier. Despite some technical competence and decent speeds, IPVanish's past cooperation with law enforcement and lack of transparency severely damage its trustworthiness as a privacy tool.
Pros
- •Good speeds overall
- •Unlimited connections
- •24/7 live chat
- •Good for torrenting
- •No split tunneling
- •SOCKS5 proxy included
Cons
- •Past FBI cooperation
- •Based in USA (5 Eyes)
- •No privacy audits
- •Not open-source
- •Average Netflix support
- •No warrant canary
Detailed Scoring Analysis
Category Analysis
Privacy & Security (6/16) - Major Concerns
IPVanish's privacy record is permanently tainted:
- ✗ 2016: Provided logs to FBI despite "no logs" claim
- ✗ Based in USA (5 Eyes jurisdiction)
- ✗ No privacy audits to rebuild trust
- ✗ Not open-source
- ✗ No warrant canary
- ⚠ Claims reformed policies (unverified)
Historical Context: In 2016, IPVanish provided detailed user logs to the FBI while actively advertising a "no logs" policy. Trust once broken is difficult to rebuild.
Speed & Servers (9/10) - Strong Performance
Technical infrastructure remains solid:
- ✓ Speed score: 4.5/5 (excellent)
- ✓ 2,400+ servers in 90+ locations
- ✓ Consistent 10-15% speed loss
- ✓ WireGuard protocol support
- ✓ Good server distribution
Pricing & Value (7.5/10)
Competitive pricing with unlimited devices:
- ✓ Annual: $48-60 (competitive)
- ✓ Monthly: $11.99
- ✓ Unlimited simultaneous connections
- ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ⚠ Trust issues affect value perception
Application Features (19/21.25)
Full-featured despite trust issues:
- ✗ No split tunneling
- ✓ Kill switch functionality
- ✓ SOCKS5 proxy included
- ✓ Port forwarding available
- ✓ Multiple protocols supported
Company Ethics (1/5)
Past actions have consequences:
- ✗ Lied about logging practices
- ✗ Cooperated with law enforcement
- ✗ No meaningful accountability
- ⚠ Under new ownership since 2017
- ⚠ Claims to have reformed
Real-World Testing Results
IPVanish presents a complex case: technically competent software overshadowed by a catastrophic breach of user trust. While the service performs well in testing, the 2016 FBI incident remains an indelible stain on its reputation.
The FBI Cooperation Scandal
In 2016, IPVanish provided detailed logs to the FBI for a criminal investigation, including connection timestamps and user information—all while advertising a strict "no logs" policy. This wasn't a technical failure but a deliberate decision to deceive users about their privacy practices.
Current Performance
Setting aside trust issues, IPVanish delivers solid performance. Speeds are consistently good, the unlimited device policy is genuinely unlimited, and the feature set is comprehensive. The apps work reliably across platforms, and customer support responds quickly.
The Trust Dilemma
Can IPVanish be trusted today? They claim new ownership and reformed policies, but without privacy audits or transparency measures, users must simply take their word—the same word that proved worthless in 2016. For a privacy service, this is a fundamental problem.
Final Verdict
IPVanish's 47/93.5 score and D-tier ranking reflect a service that works well technically but fails the fundamental test of trustworthiness for a privacy tool.
Consider If:
- • Speed is your priority
- • You need unlimited devices
- • Privacy isn't critical
- • You're not in the US
Avoid If:
- • Privacy is paramount
- • Trust matters to you
- • You're a US resident
- • You need proven no-logs
⚠️ Privacy Warning: IPVanish has a documented history of providing user logs to law enforcement while claiming to keep no logs. Consider this carefully before trusting them with sensitive activities.
Score Summary
Trust Issues
2016: Provided user logs to FBI despite "no logs" policy