PureVPN vs. IPVanish - A Detailed Comparison
Looking to buy a VPN service? Whether it's to keep your Internet service provider (ISP) from knowing what you're doing online or access websites and content unavailable in your country, what you should know is that not all VPNs are created equally.
Some might be focused on delivering fast speeds, while others put a major emphasis on security and privacy. The ever-growing number of options in the market also doesn't make it easy to find the best fit for your needs.
Fret not, though! In the coming paragraphs, I'll be comparing two of the most popular VPN services among the cyber conscious masses, namely PureVPN and IPVanish, to see which offers the biggest bang for your buck.
I am going to take a look at the nine main categories that should be researched when selecting a VPN provider. Also:
- I'll help you understand the importance of each category.
- I'll explain how both the VPNs fare in each category.
- I'll disclose the winner of each category.
- I'll tally the categories won at the end, and name the winner of this VPN faceoff.
In this post, we have featured PureVPN vs IPVanish Comparison 2019 that includes detailed insights of its pricing, features, functionality and more. Let's get started here.
With all of that out of the way, let's get started!PureVPN vs. IPVanish Comparison 2019 - Save Upto 73% Now
PureVPN
PureVPN boasts one of the largest VPN networks. With unlimited access to 2,000+ VPN servers and 300,000+ shared IP addresses in 180+ locations, you can experience the Internet without any restrictions and blockades.
IPVanish
IPVanish isn't too far behind either and offers 1,300+ VPN servers to choose from, but only in 75+ locations across the world. Moreover, there's a reasonable pool of 40,000+ IP addresses available, all of which are shared.
Global Server Network
The larger the server network, the better because it allows a VPN provider to guarantee complete online freedom to its users.
Round 1 Winner: PureVPN
PureVPN has the edge over IPVanish as it has more server locations on offer.
Customer Support
The quality of customer support offered by a VPN service paints an accurate picture of whether they truly value you as a customer.
PureVPN
PureVPN has a well-rounded customer support team, which can be reached 24/7 by live chat, email, or via ticket system. When I contacted them about an issue I was facing, they were helpful and prompt in providing me with a resolution.
IPVanish
I had a similar positive experience with IPVanish's customer support. It's also available around the clock and can be availed through live chat, email, and even phone - mind you, not a lot of VPNs provide phone support.
Round 2 Winner: IPVanish
While I received great customer support from both VPN providers, IPVanish takes this round because they also allow you to reach them through your landline.
Security & Privacy
The best VPNs will use strong encryption algorithms and provide a full suite of features to protect your personal data from prying eyes.
PureVPN
Like other major VPN services, PureVPN employs AES 256-bit encryption on its connections. Besides that, it also offers features like WebRTC leak protection, Internet kill switch, and DNS leak protection to prevent the possibility of data leakages.
While shared IPs are the standard format for most VPN providers, PureVPN is one of the very few that also comes with dedicated IPs as an add-on. As far as protocols are concerned, you can choose from PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN.
IPVanish
IPVanish also uses the industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption to keep cybercriminals and other third-parties at bay. When it comes to features, it packs split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and Internet kill switch.
However, it lacks premium add-ons that some users might need. Take, for instance, dedicated IPs are highly sought-after because of the security benefits they provide. When establishing a connection, IPVanish lets you choose from L2TP, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols.
Round 3 Winner: PureVPN
Unlike IPVanish, PureVPN gives users more features and protocols to play around with. It also scores some extra points for providing dedicated IP addresses, which quite frankly is a rare find in the VPN industry.
Connection Speeds
Though you're always going to experience a drop in your Internet speed with a VPN, some providers have workarounds for this. After all, nobody wants to encounter buffering when streaming their favorite content online.
Here's how I tested the speed of both VPNs: I first connect to a server in another country (U.K to the U.S) and then visit the Speedtest by Ookla website to check the connection speeds I was getting. These were the results...
PureVPN
When I connected to a U.S server using PureVPN, I hit download speeds of 96.5 Mbps. I was able to stream videos in High Definition (HD) seamlessly, and browsing was pretty quick as well.
IPVanish
Upon connecting to an IPVanish U.S server, I clocked download speeds of just 39.2 Mbps. As you'd expect, streaming HD videos was a pain and I experienced lags even during normal browsing.
Round 4 Winner: PureVPN
If you want a high-speed VPN service, look no further than PureVPN as it recorded impressive download speeds during our tests.
Netflix Compatibility
It's no secret that the US version of Netflix has the most content and many streamers want to access it from their respective regions. Even though it's possible with a VPN service, the truth is most of them simply don't work with Netflix - despite making tall claims to the contrary!
The streaming giant actively blocks VPN IP addresses to comply with the content licensing agreements it has made with movie and television studios. As a result, some VPNs can no longer provide access to US Netflix, but there others that still do.
PureVPN
I was able to access US Netflix easily with PureVPN 's extensions for Chrome and Firefox. However, make sure you select "US Netflix" from the Popular Websites tab instead of connecting to a U.S server and then visiting Netflix.
IPVanish
IPVanish used to be a popular option for unlocking US Netflix in the past. Since the recent Netflix VPN ban though, it hasn't been able to offer any access.
Round 5 Winner: PureVPN
PureVPN has what it takes to provide you with seamless and uninterrupted US Netflix access, but the same can't be said about IPVanish.
Pricing Plans
I always use the annual subscription plans when comparing the pricing of VPN providers because it's the most popular choice. Also, the monthly cost on a 1-year plan works out cheaper than if you pay for just a month's worth of service.
PureVPN
PureVPN will cost you a mere $2.95 per month ($35.40 per year) if you choose their annual plan. The price for their monthly plan, on the other hand, goes up to $10.95. There's also a generous 31-day money-back guarantee that you can take advantage of in case you aren't satisfied with PureVPN's service!
It's important to note that the VPN service is known for running special deals from time to time, so be sure to check their website for any current discounts that you can grab. In fact, PureVPN's Buy One Gift Twelve (B1G12) offer is currently active, where you can gift up to 12 monthly accounts for free to anyone upon the purchase of any subscription plan.
IPVanish.
IPVanish's annual subscription is priced at $6.94 per month ($77.99 per year), whereas the monthly plan is going to cost you $10.00. The money-back-guarantee is of only 7-days, which is considerably shorter than the competition.
Round 6 Winner: PureVPN
Being one of the most budget-friendly VPNs out there, PureVPN is the victor of this pricing battle.
Cross-Platform Support
If you have multiple devices at home, cross-platform support is an important thing to consider. You'd also want your smartphone or tablet to benefit from top-of-the-line VPN protection - not just your computer.
PureVPN
IPVanish provides native VPN apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
There's an applet available for DDWRT as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The VPN service can also be configured on routers, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. If you're a Kodi user, their add-on for the popular media player is a must-try.
IPVanish
Top-notch cross-platform support is also offered by IPVanish, with native VPN apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV.
The VPN service can also be set up on Windows phones, Google OS, Linux, and routers. There are no dedicated browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, though.
Round 7 Winner: PureVPN
For those who want to secure more than one device, PureVPN should be your pick as it supports a whopping 11 platforms!
Simultaneous Logins
When you're choosing a VPN provider, always take the number of simultaneous logins they offer into account. Why buy multiple VPN accounts when you can connect every device you own with just one, right?
PureVPN
With one PureVPN account, you can enjoy privacy and security on up to 5 different devices simultaneously. Not a bad number at all, but you can increase it if needed by setting up the VPN service on your router.
IPVanish
IPVanish is the only top-tier VPN that affords that allows up 10 multi-logins. Chances are that you might not need to connect as many devices in the first place, but it doesn't hurt to have that option available either way.
Round 8 Winner: IPVanish
IPVanish doesn't disappoint in this area, offering a higher number of simultaneous connections per account than PureVPN.
Are downloading torrents illegal? The short answer: no. If you're downloading things that aren't copyrighted, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. However, ISPs frown upon torrenting - as it consumes large chunks of bandwidth - and some even go as far as blocking all P2P activities on their network.
PureVPN
The VPN service doesn't allow torrents on a few popular servers, especially where P2P file sharing is illegal - these include the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada, among others. However, it does support torrenting in more than 105 other countries.
Torrent Friendliness
IPVanish
Unlike PureVPN, all of IPVanish's servers can be used to download torrents. That's a total of over 60 countries.
Round 9 Winner: PureVPN
One should never engage in torrenting activities without a VPN, and PureVPN has plenty of ultra-secure servers which let you torrent with a cloak of anonymity.
Here's How It Looks So Far...
Category Winner
Global Server Coverage PureVPN
Customer Support IPVanish
Connection Speeds PureVPN
Security & Privacy PureVPN
Netflix Compatibility PureVPN
Pricing Plans PureVPN
Cross-Platform Support PureVPN
Simultaneous Logins IPVanish
Torrent Friendliness PureVPN
Quick Links:
The Winner: PureVPN vs. IPVanish Comparison 2019
PureVPN outshined IPVanish in 7 out of 9 categories, including global server coverage, connection speeds, security & privacy, Netflix access, pricing, cross-platform support, and torrenting.
IPVanish, on the other hand, bagged the best scores in just 2 of the categories, namely simultaneous logins, and customer support.
All things considered, PureVPN is the superior VPN in this comparison - it's a complete service available for a very affordable price tag.
Which VPN service is the better one in your opinion - PureVPN or IPVanish? We've already given our verdict, so let us know yours in the comments section below!
