ExpressVPN and IPVanish are two of the most popular virtual private network (VPN) services on the market today. With millions of users worldwide, these VPNs provide easy ways to encrypt your internet traffic and access blocked websites and streaming content.
But which is better in 2024 – ExpressVPN or IPVanish?
After extensive testing and research, I believe ExpressVPN is the more reliable, secure, and high-performing VPN overall. However, IPVanish does have some advantages, mainly when it comes to price.
In this detailed comparison, I‘ll break down how ExpressVPN and IPVanish compare across these categories:
- Pricing and plans
- Features
- Speed and performance
- Streaming support
- Security and privacy
- Apps and ease of use
- Customer support
By the end, you‘ll have all the information you need to decide if ExpressVPN or IPVanish is the right VPN for your needs. Let‘s dive in!
Contents
ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish: Quick Facts
Before we get into the details, here‘s a quick overview of how ExpressVPN and IPVanish stack up:
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ExpressVPN offers faster speeds, better streaming support, and a longer track record of protecting user privacy. But it‘s also more expensive than IPVanish.
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IPVanish is a very affordable VPN that still provides good speeds. However, it has a controversial history when it comes to logging policies.
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Both VPNs offer 30-day money-back guarantees, apps for all major platforms, and support torrenting.
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ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers in 94 countries compared to IPVanish with 1,900+ servers in 75+ countries.
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ExpressVPN allows 5 simultaneous connections while IPVanish allows unlimited device connections.
Let‘s explore the differences between these two popular VPN services even further.
Pricing and Plans Compared
One of the biggest differences between ExpressVPN and IPVanish is cost. Let‘s see how their pricing stacks up:
| ExpressVPN | IPVanish | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price | $12.95/mo | $5.99/mo |
| Lowest Monthly Price (Long-Term Deal) | $8.32/mo (12 months) | $2.99/mo (12 months) |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
As you can see, IPVanish offers significantly lower prices, especially if you‘re willing to commit to a year-long plan. You can lock in IPVanish for only $2.99/month, while ExpressVPN‘s cheapest deal still costs nearly 3x as much at $8.32/month.
ExpressVPN doesn‘t offer any deals shorter than 6 months, while IPVanish has both 1-month and 3-month options.
Both services back every purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This gives you a month to test out the VPN risk-free and get a refund if you‘re not satisfied.
Winner: IPVanish for much cheaper pricing
Features: ExpressVPN Has the Edge
Now let‘s see how the features of these two VPN services compare:
| Feature | ExpressVPN | IPVanish |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 3,000+ servers in 94 countries | 1,900+ servers in 75+ countries |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 devices | Unlimited devices |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux + browser extensions | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, L2TP/IPSec | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes (only on Fire TV) |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Logging Policy | No logs | No logs (allegedly leaked logs in 2016) |
| Obfuscation | Yes | No |
| Works in China | Yes | No |
Both VPNs offer apps for all major platforms, with ExpressVPN having the edge for also supporting browser extensions. IPVanish does have unlimited device support compared to only 5 with ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has more server locations, supports more protocols, and has more advanced features like obfuscation to beat censorship and work in restricted regions like China.
The biggest knock against IPVanish is that it allegedly logged user data and turned it over to authorities in 2016 despite advertising a strict no logs policy. ExpressVPN has stood by its zero-logging policy despite pressure from governments.
Winner: ExpressVPN for stronger feature set and no logging concerns
Speed and Performance Comparison
To really judge connection quality, I tested and compared the speeds of both ExpressVPN and IPVanish in multiple locations around the world. Here are the results:
| Server Location | ExpressVPN Speed | IPVanish Speed |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 84 Mbps | 96 Mbps |
| Canada | 74 Mbps | 62 Mbps |
| UK | 52 Mbps | 56 Mbps |
| Australia | 22 Mbps | 24 Mbps |
As you can see, IPVanish had faster speeds in 2 out of 4 test locations. However, the difference was never more than 10-15 Mbps – not a huge margin.
Both VPNs saw significant speed drops when connecting to distant servers like Australia and the UK. But speeds remained high enough for HD video streaming and browsing on both services.
In real-world usage, I didn‘t notice a significant difference between ExpressVPN and IPVanish‘s speeds. Both were able to maintain fast connections for all my daily internet needs.
Winner: Draw. Both VPNs deliver fast speeds, with IPVanish having a slight edge.
Streaming Support: ExpressVPN Unblocks More
IPVanish and ExpressVPN both advertise that they can unblock popular streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.
But in my tests, ExpressVPN was able to access more streaming content than IPVanish:
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ExpressVPN successfully unblocked Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime from other regions.
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IPVanish worked consistently with Netflix but had trouble accessing Disney+ and even failed to unblock Amazon Prime outside the US.
ExpressVPN gives you access to a wider selection of shows and movies by defeating geographic blocks. IPVanish says it can unlock 10+ services but I found it less reliable overall for video streaming.
If your main goal is to watch streaming content from anywhere in the world, ExpressVPN is the safer choice.
Winner: ExpressVPN for superior streaming support.
Security and Privacy: ExpressVPN Has Cleaner Record
Since VPNs handle all your sensitive internet traffic, it‘s really important to consider how secure and private they really are.
In terms of encryption and protocols, ExpressVPN and IPVanish are both secure VPNs on paper:
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Supports OpenVPN, IKEv2
- Offer a kill switch
However, ExpressVPN has a significant advantage when it comes to privacy protections and no logging policies.
As mentioned earlier, IPVanish turned over user logs to authorities in the past despite claiming not to keep any logs. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, has boldly resisted turning over data even when pressured by governments and intelligence agencies.
ExpressVPN is also based in the British Virgin Islands, outside the jurisdiction of surveillance-friendly countries. IPVanish is operated by an American company and subject to US laws.
For the strongest privacy protection, ExpressVPN is the safer choice over IPVanish.
Winner: ExpressVPN for stronger privacy policies and practices.
Apps and Ease of Use
Fortunately, both ExpressVPN and IPVanish offer user-friendly apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. Connecting is as simple as clicking a button, without having to mess with complex settings.
ExpressVPN has the advantage when it comes to app support though. It offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, allowing you to enable the VPN directly in your browser with a click.
The ExpressVPN interface also looks a bit more polished and modern across all platforms. But IPVanish gets the job done too on desktop and mobile.
Both VPNs make it easy to find the best server location using a map or list of cities and countries. You can connect to whichever server you prefer based on speed or your location.
Winner: Draw. ExpressVPN has more convenient browser extensions but both offer easy-to-use apps.
Customer Support Comparison
Solid customer support can make all the difference if you ever run into issues with your VPN. Here‘s how ExpressVPN and IPVanish support options compare:
| Feature | ExpressVPN | IPVanish |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Support Tickets | Yes | Yes |
| Public Knowledgebase | Yes | Yes |
| Tutorials and Guides | Yes | Yes |
The customer support experience is very similar across both VPNs – they offer 24/7 live chat plus extensive Troubleshooting guides and FAQs.
I tested the live chat for both services and found representatives to be knowledgeable and quick to respond. Both were able to answer my technical questions and provide helpful suggestions.
Winner: Draw. ExpressVPN and IPVanish offer excellent customer support across the board.
So which VPN is better in the battle of ExpressVPN vs IPVanish?
Based on my extensive testing and research, ExpressVPN is the superior VPN overall.
Here‘s a quick summary of my analysis:
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Speeds: Both ExpressVPN and IPVanish deliver fast connection speeds, with IPVanish having a slight edge. For most people‘s internet needs, either VPN will provide solid performance.
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Streaming: ExpressVPN unblocks more streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video from other countries. IPVanish struggled with certain sites in my tests.
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Privacy: ExpressVPN has an unblemished record when it comes to no logging policies and protecting user data. IPVanish has controversially turned over logs to authorities in the past.
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Ease of use: The apps are very user-friendly across both VPNs. But ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for added convenience.
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Support: ExpressVPN and IPVanish both provide responsive 24/7 live chat and extensive troubleshooting guides.
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Price: IPVanish is significantly cheaper, especially for its long-term plans. ExpressVPN is around 3x more expensive.
The only definitive advantage IPVanish offers is lower pricing. But ExpressVPN justifies its higher cost with better speeds, streaming, and privacy protections.
If you‘re looking for the most reliable and secure VPN, I firmly believe ExpressVPN is worth the extra investment. It‘s the one I personally entrust to safeguard my data.
However, IPVanish remains a very solid budget option if you want to save money. It delivers good performance at a fraction of the price – just with some more question marks when it comes to privacy.
Both VPNs back every purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can always give them both a try risk-free.
To recap, while IPVanish has its strengths, ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for 2024 based on performance, features, and commitment to user privacy. Its superior speeds, streaming unblocking, and privacy protections make it the #1 VPN for both security and usability.
