PureVPN vs IPVanish

PureVPN vs IPVanish, two market leader wannabes, have some serious claims about their product on their official websites. However, when choosing the VPN for you, looking at the specifics is the way to go. So, allow us to uncover some quick facts in this comparison between the two.

Both VPNs have excellent security features, enough servers, and they both do a good job when it comes to streaming and P2P sharing. They are similarly priced, so let’s find out which one gives you more bang for your buck!

PureVPN vs IPVanish highlights

Speed and performance

In terms of speed and performance, we have quite an interesting case. While PureVPN has performed an insane VPN server fleet growth in 2019 by almost quadrupling its server list, it didn’t help to improve its speeds all that much. Moreover, many of the servers are actually virtual locations, which have their own risks when users are not aware of this.

IPVanish, despite having fewer servers in fewer countries, manages to deliver similar speeds. In fact, those speeds are more than enough to stream geo-blocked HD videos, as well as play games online. As you can see from the table below, the download speeds are pretty even between IPVanish vs PureVPN, but PureVPN is better at uploading.

PureVPN vs IPVanish: 14-Day Speed Average

Servers

PureVPN is equipped with 6500+ servers in 140+ countries. While the numbers are quite impressive, the service doesn’t retain full ownership of the server network and it has some virtual locations. Furthermore, P2P activity is allowed on specific servers only.

On the other hand, IPVanish has 1500+ servers across 75+ countries. While not as vast as the PureVPN server fleet, it’s fully owned by IPVanish and doesn’t have any virtual locations. Plus, all servers can be used for P2P.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, both VPNs have basic plans and offer extra features at an additional cost. However, PureVPN is cheaper overall if you pick the longest plan on offer.

PureVPN pricing

PureVPN offers a straightforward choice between three different subscription plans:

• $10.95/month for one month
• $3.74/month for one year
• $2.91/month for two years

Getting the lengthiest plans nets you an impressive 73% discount. Alternatively, you can try finding different deals by using a PureVPN coupon code.

It’s worth noting that some PureVPN features are hidden behind extra costs. For example, port forwarding will set you back $0.99/month. Unsurprisingly, a dedicated IP also costs extra, $2.99/month to be exact. Finally, DDoS protection costs a whopping $3.99/month, which is more than the actual VPN plan.

Whether you need these features is up to you, but it’s clear that PureVPN doesn’t offer a great deal if you’re looking for a well-rounded and secure VPN.

PureVPN

VPNpro rating: 8.7 / 10

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IPVanish pricing

For just the VPN, IPVanish lets you choose between two plans:

• $10.99/month for one month
• $3.75/month for one year

Alternatively, you can also choose between two plans with SugarSync, which are as follows:

• $12.99/month for one month
• $4.58/month for one year

SugarSync is an extra feature that grants you 500GB of secure cloud storage and backs-up your digital data.

If these plans don’t seem like the right fit, you can also search for IPVanish coupon codes online to grab some better deals.

Security

In terms of security, both IPVanish and PureVPN have essentially the same level of security – military-grade encryption and reliable protocols. Naturally, they each also have an internet kill switch and aren’t suffering from IP or DNS leaks.

PureVPN security

As mentioned earlier, not every feature is included in the basic PureVPN. Regardless, here are all the features that you can expect:

• Split tunneling. It allows you to choose which apps should go through the VPN tunnel. Currently, it’s only available on Android devices.
• Port forwarding. Improves torrenting and allows you to access your network remotely.
• Dedicated IP. PureVPN lets you choose a dedicated IP from seven different countries – Singapore, Malta, Germany, Canada, UK, Australia, and the US.
• DDoS protection. This feature ensures that your network is protected from malicious traffic.

IPVanish security

With IPVanish, you only need to pay extra for SugarSync. Otherwise, all other features are included in the typical plans. Here are all the features that IPVanish brings to the table.

• SugarSync. For an extra cost, IPVanish grants you 500GB of secure cloud storage, which is synchronized across all of your devices.
• Split tunneling. This feature allows you to choose which apps should ignore the VPN tunnel and which should go through it.
• SOCKS5 proxy. With it, you can hide your IP address without any encryption. This feature is usually combined with torrent clients.
• Traffic obfuscation. To ensure security from internet censorship and blocking, traffic obfuscation allows you to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN.

IPVanish

VPNpro rating: 8.8 / 10

Visit IPVanish

Privacy

Speaking of privacy, there are some not-so-good and some bad things we can say about both providers.

When it comes to logging policy, neither is completely saint. In the past, PureVPN, despite promoting no logs heavily, helped the FBI identify one person. That left a lot of people heavily disappointed. Later PureVPN has revised its Privacy Policy and removed the excessive no logs promotions. Plus, it even went through a third-party audit to prove that it doesn’t store any logs.

As for IPVanish, it is based in the US, the most eager Five Eyes country. However, so far there has been no instance for this provider to share identifiable information with any government agencies.  On the other hand, neither service has the option to pay anonymously. All things considered, both VPNs have their fair shares of inadequacies in terms of privacy, giving us a tie in this category.

PureVPN vs IPVanish device compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, both support basically the same platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Amazon Firestick TV, and consoles. Both competitors offer plenty of security settings to play around with. Furthermore, both services allow you to connect ten different devices simultaneously. Unsurprisingly, you can also use each service to set up a router manually with a VPN.

One advantage that PureVPN has is the addition of browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. While not exactly groundbreaking, it’s the extra push that PureVPN needed to net a win.

Netflix and other streaming platforms

This is time the victory cup goes to PureVPN. While it’s not on our list of best VPNs for streaming, it unblocks Netflix US and other Netflix libraries with no trouble. However, accessing other platforms, except for Kodi, would not be possible.

On the other hand, IPVanish would only allow you to stream Netflix US on three of its US servers (Las Vegas, Dallas, or Chicago). Forget about other Netflix libraries, and other streaming platforms – you won’t access them with this provider.

Torrenting and P2P

When it comes to P2P sharing, great speeds and foolproof security are not enough. To decide, you have to consider features such as SOCKS5 proxy and split tunneling. As well as the fact of how many servers work when torrenting. To make the best decision, have a look at our best VPNs for torrenting list.

Despite not having a split tunneling feature for all of its apps, IPVanish for torrenting is a clear leader of this round. With all the servers working for P2P, and a free SOCKS5 proxy it’s way ahead of PureVPN which allows P2P only with the selected servers, and does not have a free SOCKS5 feature.

China and other restricted countries

Unfortunately, neither service is among the best VPNs for China. PureVPN might get around the Great Firewall with the SSTP tunneling protocol. Meanwhile, IPVanish has Traffic Obfuscation for that purpose. However, none of these features really stand out as reliable against DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). As such, this face-off concludes in a draw.

PureVPN vs IPVanish customer support

Most well-known VPN providers do not skimp out on customer support options and provide customers with swift communication methods, such as 24/7 live chat. Thankfully, IPVanish vs PureVPN deliver in this regard.

However, IPVanish offers something that most VPN services lack – a phone line. Although it’s not something that I would personally take advantage of, it’s still an extra benefit that tips the scales in favor of IPVanish in this category.

Best VPN by category

PureVPN vs IPVanish – which is better?

All things considered, we would easily choose IPVanish as the winner of this comparison.

We do appreciate all the great effort PureVPN has been putting in its privacy tool to catch up with the leaders. However, today IPVanish is simply a few steps further.

Do you agree with this conclusion? Let me know by leaving a comment!

You may also like to read:
PureVPN Review
IPVanish Review
PureVPN vs NordVPN
PureVPN vs VyprVPN
IPvanish vs CyberGhost

FAQ

Is IPVanish worth getting?

IPVanish is definitely worth getting if you’re opting for the annual plan. Plus, secure cloud storage is a fairly unique feature that most VPN providers do not offer.

Does PureVPN work with Netflix?

Yes, PureVPN works at unblocking Netflix US and a few other libraries.

Can a VPN be traced?

A well-secured and reliable VPN cannot be traced. However, a free VPN or one that’s prone to IP and DNS leaks could be traced back to you. Additionally, some VPNs even collect an excessive amount of personal data.