Ivacy VPN Review: A VPN Pioneer that Forges Its Own Path

This Singaporean VPN has been around since 2007 – surprising since it’s not discussed as often as its big-name competitors. But Ivacy VPN’s low-key presence suggests a different type of VPN experience, one where the quality of service is more important than the quantity of customers.

The company operates on the principles of “complete online freedom” and “impenetrable security,” and these values culminate in Ivacy’s claim that it’s “the best VPN service in the world.” Such a lofty remark requires evidence to back it up, especially in a world where VPN providers are so plentiful.

We’ve got all the facts right here in our Ivacy VPN review. Read on to get the full scoop on this VPN’s security, performance, usability, and value!

If You’re In a Rush and Just Want Our Concise Opinion …

The first personal VPN to implement split tunneling, Ivacy’s got a lot more to boast about: over 1,000 servers, an effortless streaming mode, and very affordable pricing.

Ivacy VPN Usability

Website

Ivacy’s website is pretty but shallow – for a VPN website, there’s not a lot of information on VPNs here. Many topics that could easily have their own pages, like encryption and split tunneling, are reduced to just a couple of sentences.

The blog, too, is light on VPN content and heavy on posts about how to watch various sporting events, torrenting, and the media management app Kodi. If you’re new to VPNs, you’re better off learning the basics elsewhere rather than trying to piece together what you’re looking for from Ivacy’s scattered info deposits.

Supported Devices

Ivacy offers apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. HTTPS proxy browser extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox. These aren’t full VPNs but do allow you to mask your IP address and potentially circumvent geo-restrictions.

Manual configuration guides are available for Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian, but only for PPTP and, in Linux Mint’s case, SSTP. These older protocols have mostly fallen out of favor now that fast, secure and efficient modern protocols like OpenVPN are available, so it’s not clear why Ivacy has only provided Linux guides for them.

You can use Ivacy with OpenVPN on Linux, but as there isn’t an official guide, you’ll have to work out the configuration for yourself. Ivacy does, at least, provide OpenVPN configuration files so that manual setup is possible.

Other supported devices include BlackBerry, Android smart TVs, Raspberry Pi, media boxes running OpenELEC and routers running DD-WRT; Asus-WRT; or stock TP-Link, D-Link or Linksys firmware.

Apps

Ivacy’s apps are decked out in navy blue with clean lines and an overall attractive interface.

A big, round “Connect” button occupies the Smart Connect screen, which serves as the default home screen. You can click the button to connect to the nearest server automatically, or you can pick your own.

Servers are displayed in a list and can be viewed at either the country or city level. But the fancy selection options stop there – you can’t view ping times or loads, save favorites or change the sorting order.

A toolbar of icons on the left side of the desktop app serves as your navigation. After the Smart Connect button, the next three icons lead you to Ivacy’s “Purpose Selection” modes: Secure Download, Streaming and Unblocking.

In Secure Download mode, everything works as it normally does: you select a country to connect to, and you’re all set. But you’re limited to just a few countries that are known for their lax copyright enforcement, plus Ivacy says that in this mode, all files you download are prescanned for viruses and other malware on the VPN server before reaching your computer.

Streaming mode, too, allows you to pick a country to connect to, but you can also pick a specific “channel” – aka a streaming site – that you want to access. Ivacy will then select a server that can unblock the site, at least in theory (we’ll discuss this more in the “Streaming” section later).

Unblocking mode functions similarly to Streaming mode, but is intended to bypass network- or nation-level censorship as well as geo-restrictions on non-streaming sites. The exact mechanism by which this occurs isn’t stated.

The following icons allow you to view your account information, change the settings, and get support. The settings panel is the most interesting of these, and probably the one you’ll access most frequently.

Ivacy’s settings are divided into two tabs: General and Connection. In the General tab, you can select the mode you want the app to boot into; configure auto-launch, auto-connect and auto-reconnect; enable automatic disconnection upon exiting the app and enable IPv6 leak protection (it’s not turned on by default).

On Windows, the connection tab allows you to change your protocol, manually input a server address (useful if, for example, you were given the address of a suitable streaming server via live chat and just want to copy and paste it), configure split tunneling and enable the kill switch (which, again, is not turned on by default). The macOS app does not support protocol switching, split tunneling or the kill switch.

Ivacy’s mobile apps are similar in terms of both features and design. The client is still split into Smart Connect, and Purpose modes and the location picker can still be sorted by city or country (but nothing else); the apps also get an extra feature in the form of “On-Demand VPN,” which lets you compile a list of websites that you use the VPN with and automatically launches the VPN whenever you visit one.

Though the Android app has a kill switch, the iOS app doesn’t. It’s the same story with split tunneling, which is a bit surprising given that it’s Ivacy’s flagship feature.

Usability Score: 4/5

Ivacy’s website has a ways to go before we’d call it beginner-friendly, but fortunately, that’s not true of the company’s apps. The various Purpose modes will appeal to new users, particularly the Streaming mode, which greatly simplifies the connection process if you’re using the VPN to access media.

But some aspects of the apps are a little too simple, particularly the location picker, which forgoes functionality for form. We’d like to see Ivacy give users the options to sort the list by distance rather than in alphabetical order, make a list of favorite servers and view latency or load stats.

The macOS and iOS apps lack many of the features of the Windows and Android apps, including a few important ones like the kill switch. Apple users may find the Ivacy apps less-than-usable due to these deficits.

We’re also puzzled by Ivacy’s choice to only provide Linux configuration guides for PPTP and SSTP when nothing is precluding the use of OpenVPN or other modern protocols. Fearless users (which, fortunately, make up a good chunk of Linux users) can still set it up using Ivacy’s well-hidden OpenVPN config files, but if you’re looking for a plug-and-play Linux VPN, you should keep searching.

Overall, though, once you get past the website and the initial app installation or manual configuration, Ivacy is a pleasant, user-friendly VPN that’s well-suited to those who value simplicity in their VPN clients.

Ivacy VPN Server Coverage

Ivacy offers over 1,000 servers in over 100 locations in 55 countries. That count is not too shabby, especially considering that many of Ivacy’s competitors support millions more users on a similar number of servers.

The USA is dotted with servers from coast to coast, as are Australia, Canada, and the UK. Interestingly, there are also multiple locations in China – it’s rare for a VPN provider to offer any servers in China, let alone in two different cities.

Europe is, of course, well-covered, but surprisingly, so are Africa and South America. Each has servers in five countries; by our observations, the average is one or two, giving Ivacy a real edge in these regions.

Asia and the Middle East aren’t left out, either, with servers in 11 countries in Asia and five in the Middle East. New Zealand and Australia round out the offerings in Oceania.

However, users should be aware that not all of Ivacy’s servers support OpenVPN; in fact, the majority don’t. You can view the full server list, which is divided into “OpenVPN” and “PPTP/L2TP/SSTP/IKEv2” sections, here; the OpenVPN list is almost entirely populated by European locations, with a few Canadian and American servers plus Australia and Brazil thrown in for good measure.

Ivacy does use virtual servers, which are configured to distribute IP addresses from countries other than the ones they’re located in. These servers can be identified in the server list by the “vl**” preceding the rest of the server URL.

The location of the servers isn’t explicitly stated, but you can find out by looking at the two characters that appear after the “vl” in the server URL: “vleu” means that the server is in Europe, for instance, while “vlus” means it’s in the USA. If you want total control over the countries your data travels through, you should avoid these servers, but on the other hand, choosing a virtual server can increase speeds if you’re closer to the server’s actual location than its virtual one.

Server Coverage Score: 4/5

For a smaller provider, Ivacy offers a pretty big server farm. 1,000 servers are nothing to scoff at and with numbers like that, you shouldn’t have any issues connecting to a server with low load and good speeds.

Distribution is surprisingly equitable to the entire globe, not just the typical hotspots of Europe and North America. Africa is covered from South Africa to Nigeria to Ghana to Egypt, with the island nation of Seychelles as the cherry on top; it’s similar in South America, where old standby Brazil is joined by Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

Even the world’s most anti-VPN nations are represented here: Russia, the UAE, Turkey, and China all have servers. For the sake of data security, you probably won’t want to connect to these servers unless you’re actually in one of these countries, but it’s nice to have the option.

So what’s our gripe with Ivacy’s server coverage? Mostly the uneven protocol support – a seeming continuation of the strange Linux protocol options we discussed in the “Usability” section and an anomaly in the VPN industry, which by and large supports OpenVPN across all servers.

There’s at least one modern protocol option (OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPsec) for each of Ivacy’s servers, which makes the imbalance somewhat less detrimental, but we’d still like to see Ivacy implement OpenVPN on all of its servers, as it’s by far the most in-demand VPN protocol.

Ivacy VPN Performance and Speed

Streaming

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer: the banes of any VPN provider’s existence. For a while, the ability to bypass streaming geo-restrictions was a well-kept secret among VPN users, allowing them to access their regular media while traveling and explore international content while at home.

But as word of these capabilities spread, the streaming sites responded by fortifying themselves against VPNs, proxies, and other methods of location spoofing. These days, with thousands upon thousands of VPN IPs blocked and advanced technologies like deep packet inspection in play, the dreaded proxy error is an all-too-common sight when you’re using a VPN.

Though some providers have responded by downplaying their streaming abilities, Ivacy has elected to emphasize them. Its apps feature a dedicated streaming mode, which allows you to pick a website (or even a whole country) to unblock, then automatically connect to a server that can unblock it.

Options include Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, ABC, CBS, CTV, ESPN, FOX, City TV, Bravo, HBO and more – basically, whether you want to catch up on your favorite TV shows, watch the big game or relax with a good film, Ivacy has an option for you.

But the automated server picker isn’t always successful at selecting servers that can actually unblock your chosen site. It’s particularly flaky with Netflix and BBC iPlayer, perhaps the two most popular streaming sites for VPN users.

The good news is that there usually is at least one server that will work with your site of choice – it’ll just take a little more work to locate it. When Ivacy’s streaming mode fails you, a quick live chat with customer support will almost always point you towards a server that’s yet to be blacklisted.

Torrenting

Maybe you’re more of a torrenter than a streamer, or maybe you’re a fan of hybridized P2P streaming apps like Popcorn Time. Either way, if you’re a P2P user, you know that not all VPNs welcome folks like you with open arms.

Thankfully, Ivacy takes a positive stance on P2P protocols. With no throttling and no bandwidth restrictions, you’re able to torrent as much as you’d like without worrying about meeting any limits – or getting any threatening letters from the MPAA or the RIAA.

It’s not a free-for-all, though, as P2P is only allowed on certain servers. But with server options ranging from the USA to the UK to Venezuela to Pakistan, you shouldn’t have any problems finding a nearby location.

If you need port forwarding for your torrent client (or for any other reason), you can get it with Ivacy – but it’ll cost you an extra $1 a month. It’s bundled with Ivacy’s NAT Firewall feature, which we’ll discuss later on in the “Security” section.

Speed

As much as we’d like to, we can’t predict exactly what your internet speeds will be like with Ivacy. Depending on your base connection, location, hardware, and choice of server, your speed test results could – and most likely will – vary wildly from any other user’s.

What we can tell you is how Ivacy’s speeds compare with those of other VPNs we’ve reviewed. Most providers will reduce your download speeds by no more than 20% on a local connection, no more than 50% on a Europe-North America connection and no more than 80% on other connections.

Ivacy, for the most part, holds up well against its competitors, though with more variability than you’d normally see. On local connections, for instance, speeds typically drop by 15-20%, but occasionally by 40-50%; it’s not clear what causes these large drops, but some users report that restarting the client when they occur resolves the problem.

It’s a similar story with Europe-North America connections, which are perhaps the most common long-distance connections and which also display a highly variable range of speeds. Sometimes, speeds drop by just 25-30%; other times, they’re reduced by as much as 70%.

Other locations are hit-or-miss, even within the same region: Japan and Singapore reduce speeds by around 50%, while Hong Kong and Taiwan are frequently so slow that a connection can’t even be established.

If reliably high global speeds are important to you, there are better options, but if you tend to stick with local servers and don’t hog too much bandwidth, you should be just fine with Ivacy.

Split Tunneling

It’s not every day you encounter a VPN provider with a truly original feature, but Ivacy is one of them. Back in 2010, it was the first VPN to implement split tunneling, a performance-boosting feature that’s now a mainstay among the top VPN companies.

With split tunneling, you can avoid a particularly inconvenient pitfall of VPNs: their incompatibility with certain websites and apps. Whether you’re dealing with errors on banking and streaming sites, suffering high latency while gaming or encountering issues connecting to local network devices like printers, split tunneling can help.

In the Ivacy app, you can choose which of your apps use the VPN and which ones use your base connection. Vulnerable apps, like your web browser or torrent client, can remain protected while others, such as Steam or Spotify, can utilize your full connection to reach maximum speeds and reduce connectivity issues.

Performance and Speed Score: 4/5

Performance standards vary for every user: some will want to connect to various streaming sites without getting hit with proxy errors, some will want extra features to enhance their torrenting experience, and others will simply want to max out their speeds. Some providers focus on just one aspect of performance, but Ivacy attempts to cover all the bases – and, overall, it works.

We like that Ivacy hasn’t shied away from streaming in the wake of Netflix’s aggressive VPN bans. In fact, it’s done the opposite, amping up the variety of both the supported sites and the servers that can connect to them.

For the most part, this approach is a successful one, but it’s still far from perfect. Netflix, BBC iPlayer and other popular streaming sites may not be consistently reachable through the automatic server selector, so chances are you’ll still need to hit up Ivacy’s live chat every once in a while for server suggestions.

Speeds are similar in that their highs, while impressive, are infrequent. Consistency is an oft-forgotten factor of internet speeds, but it’s an important one nonetheless, and when it comes to long-distance connections, Ivacy isn’t the most reliable VPN provider.

Torrenting, though not completely unrestricted, is supported on a satisfying range of servers; though port forwarding costs extra, it’s nice that it’s offered at all. And we extend our kudos to Ivacy VPN for introducing the VPN industry to split tunneling, an essential performance and productivity feature that makes VPNs easier and more convenient for all.

Ivacy VPN Security

VPN Protocols

There are many ways to create a VPN tunnel. Though the end result is pretty much the same, the method, or protocol, you choose impacts your connection’s security, speed, reliability and efficiency.

Ivacy offers five VPN protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, SSTP, L2TP/IPsec and PPTP. The availability of each depends on your device and your desired server location.

OpenVPN

Of all the widely-available VPN protocols, OpenVPN is our – and many security experts’ – favorite. Anybody can examine the open-source code to ensure that it hasn’t been compromised, it’s highly customizable, and it offers an excellent balance of speed and security.

Somewhat confusingly, Ivacy doesn’t call OpenVPN by its name in the apps; rather, it calls it “TCP” and “UDP.” This is in reference to OpenVPN’s two user-adjustable modes, TCP and UDP, which prioritize, respectively, reliability and speed.

As mentioned in the “Server Coverage” section, most of Ivacy’s servers don’t support OpenVPN. If you want to use this protocol, you’ll be limited to just 21 locations, compared to 94 for the other protocols.

OpenVPN is available in Ivacy’s Windows and Android apps; it’s the default protocol in the latter, with UDP being preferred and TCP being the fallback mode. Unfortunately, it isn’t available to Ivacy’s iOS and macOS app users, though you can manually configure it on any system using the OpenVPN config files available on Ivacy’s website.

IKEv2/IPsec

Another modern VPN protocol that’s known for excellent speed and security, IKEv2/IPsec is, in practice, quite similar to OpenVPN. But under the hood lie a few differences: it’s closed-source; it can transition seamlessly from mobile data to WiFi and vice versa; and it only uses UDP, so although it’s fast, it can sometimes get caught in firewalls.

IKEv2/IPsec is the default protocol in the Windows app and is implemented on Ivacy’s full array of servers. It’s also the default protocol in the iOS and macOS apps, where the protocol isn’t user-adjustable.

SSTP

SSTP is Microsoft’s proprietary VPN protocol and was only possible to use on Windows until quite recently. It’s as secure as OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec, though it only uses TCP port 443; this is the same port used by HTTPS traffic, so it’s highly unlikely to be blocked by firewalls, but it’s slower than UDP.

Ivacy’s apps don’t include SSTP as a protocol option, but you can manually configure it on Windows and Linux Mint with the help of Ivacy’s guides. Manual configuration is also possible on other OSes, but you’ll have to figure it out for yourself and potentially install third-party software.

L2TP/IPsec

An older protocol that’s mostly used today for compatibility purposes, L2TP/IPsec is Ivacy’s fallback protocol on iOS and macOS if IKEv2/IPsec isn’t available. It’s also an option in the Windows apps and can be manually configured on just about any device.

L2TP/IPsec’s main drawback is that it’s slow – almost painfully slow if you’re used to the high speeds of OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec. This is due to its double encapsulation, which expends extra time and processing power to secure your data twice using outdated methods that have since been superseded by more efficient ones.

PPTP

The oldest protocol still widely in use today, PPTP is extremely fast, so it’s often used for streaming or downloading. But this speed comes at the cost of security – PPTP has been successfully broken several times, and those vulnerabilities are still present to this day.

For this reason, PPTP shouldn’t be used for sensitive data; if you need security, you’re better off with just about any other protocol. It isn’t available in Ivacy’s apps but can be manually configured on just about every device if you wish to use it.

Encryption

Ivacy uses AES-256 encryption. AES-256 is highly secure and has never been cracked (and is unlikely to be until quantum computers become available), so it’s the cipher of choice for security experts, governments, militaries and businesses around the world.

In Ivacy’s support base article about encryption, it’s stated that the encryption level is user-adjustable in the Windows app. However, the article was last updated in 2016 and the option to change encryption settings is no longer available in the app.

NAT Firewall

If your computer and router already have firewalls, you may wonder why you’d need one for your VPN as well. Well, mobile devices typically don’t have firewalls, and an extra layer of security is always a good thing – especially with a VPN, which processes and approves incoming traffic before it can be caught by your router or computer firewall, rendering them ineffective..

Ivacy offers a server-side NAT firewall as an optional add-on to the base VPN package. The NAT firewall blocks unrequested inbound traffic, preventing malware attacks by hackers who use automated tools to scan the internet for unprotected devices that accept unsolicited incoming traffic.

When you opt for the NAT firewall add-on, you also get port forwarding capabilities. This allows you to continue using local network devices like printers and hard drives without them getting caught in the firewall – you just assign each device a port and then add it to the forwarding list, enabling it to bypass the firewall.

Kill Switch

A kill switch is perhaps the most important security feature a VPN can have. It prevents your IP address and unencrypted data from being transmitted in the event of a VPN failure by blocking your entire internet connection.

It’s obvious when your regular internet connection drops since pages stop loading and apps error out, but you might not even notice when your VPN connection drops because you’ll just revert to using your base connection. A kill switch effectively simulates the effects of a full internet outage, alerting you to the connection error and stopping any unintentional data leaks in their tracks.

Ivacy offers the kill switch in its Windows and Android apps. Unfortunately, macOS users don’t have access to it and will need to use a third-party app, such as Tunnelblick; iOS users will need to go with a different provider if they need a kill switch.

Security Score: 4/5

Ivacy covers most of the important security features nicely. All apps support IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN or both, and the AES-256 encryption is virtually unbreakable by any computer currently in existence.

The add-on NAT firewall feature is a mixed bag – on the one hand, many VPN providers include a server-side NAT firewall by default with no extra charge, so reducing it to a paid option seems a bit stingy. On the other hand, many such providers don’t include port forwarding or any way to manage the firewall, which can cause unresolvable issues with local network devices, so we like that it’s optional – and full-featured – with Ivacy.

The biggest misstep here, in our opinion, is the kill switch. It’s not that it’s not functional, it’s that it’s only available on Windows and Android, leaving macOS and iOS users vulnerable to IP and data leaks.

Most other providers do include a kill switch on macOS, and a good chunk of them also include one on iOS (where it is, admittedly, more difficult to implement). Apple users need a kill switch as much as anyone else, and we hope to see them get one from Ivacy soon.

Ivacy VPN Privacy and Logging Policies

Jurisdiction

Ivacy is based in Singapore, which is perhaps one of the world’s most surveillance-happy countries. Whether it’s allowing international intelligence agencies to tap into its undersea fiber cables, authorizing law enforcement to access and search any computer without a warrant, or opening the door for the government to require internet companies to store usage data and even decrypt encrypted messages, Singapore seems hellbent on keeping tabs on internet traffic.

Currently, though, no Singaporean law requires Ivacy to store any type of user data, and since all of your Ivacy data is encrypted, you won’t be vulnerable if it’s intercepted. Though the laws enabling digital surveillance in Singapore are sweeping and leave much room for expansion, they appear to be utilized mainly for investigating hackers, suspected terrorists, and other criminals, not ordinary citizens.

In 2016, Singapore considered criminalizing VPNs due to its potential to be used to violate copyrights. However, it does not appear that these discussions led anywhere, and Singaporean law has remained silent on VPNs.

Policies

Ivacy states on its homepage that it has a “no browsing logs policy” and a “strict zero-logs policy,” but as anyone who’s been around the VPN block knows, these claims mean very different things to different providers. Many supposed “no logs” providers do, in fact, keep logs containing information like connection timestamps, bandwidth usage, and server choices.

Ivacy’s privacy policy starts by explaining what it doesn’t log: browsing activity, IP addresses (original and assigned), connection times, downloaded or uploaded data, and DNS queries. It also states that it stores “no information that could associate specific activities to specific users” and that it “has no sensitive data to share, even when legally bound to do so” – an excellent sign.

Ivacy does store your name, email address, and payment method to maintain your account. We recommend using a pseudonym and an anonymous email address if you’re concerned about having your real information associated with your VPN account.

The Ivacy apps collect and transmit crash and usage statistics for troubleshooting, diagnostic and analytic purposes. The only “personal” information collected in this process is your country; other data includes bandwidth usage, app performance stats, and crash reports.

This data is processed with third-party tools like Google Analytics, Crashlytics, and iTunes (for Apple users). These tools have their own privacy policies that you may wish to read, as there isn’t a way to opt-out of sending data to them through Ivacy.

Ivacy also stores records of all correspondence, including emails and live chat logs. This data is also handled with third-party tools, including LiveChat and Zendesk, whose privacy policies are also in force and should be read through if you’re concerned about what these companies do with your data.

The privacy policy includes a section about authority requests for user information where it’s stated, albeit in a roundabout way, that Ivacy will cooperate with lawful requests for user data. However, the only data it will be able to turn over is your name and email address (assuming you didn’t anonymize those).

Privacy and Logging Policies Score: 3.5/5

Singapore may have a worrying stance on privacy, but it’s far from the only country enacting surveillance laws – the UK, the USA and their Five, Nine and Fourteen Eyes associates are similarly interested in monitoring online communications. Currently, with no laws in place requiring Ivacy to keep any logs, Singapore is as safe a place as any for a VPN to be headquartered in.

We’d be more hesitant to approve of Singapore as a VPN jurisdiction were it not for the fact that Ivacy’s logs are very minimal. If you use an anonymous email address and a pseudonym when signing up, no personally identifying information about you is stored at all – no session logs, no IP addresses, nothing that could tie you to your account or your activity.

We do wish that users were given the ability to opt-out of sending analytic data, though. If you’re using a VPN to avoid trackers and protect your data from companies like Google and Apple, having your VPN app send data to those companies anyway kind of defeats the purpose.

Ivacy VPN Customer Service

Ivacy offers customer support via 24/7 live chat and email.

Though VPN live-chats are frequently slow, unresponsive and unhelpful, Ivacy’s is the opposite. The support reps seem to be well-trained and knowledgeable and can provide assistance with finding a server, installing the app, troubleshooting connection problems and resolving account issues.

The email support form is a little less fleshed-out than we typically see – there’s no option to upload attachments, for instance, so if you want to do that, you’ll need to send a direct email through your email client. But responses are as helpful as those from the live chat reps, and more technical queries can be handled more smoothly here.

On Ivacy’s contact page, you’ll find the company’s address in Singapore along with a statement that “you are always welcome.” So if you happen to find yourself in Singapore and need assistance with your VPN, it seems there’s a third support option for you – and if not, it’s still nice to see a VPN provider being so welcoming to its customers.

Customer Service Score: 4.5/5

Ivacy’s customer service is truly top-notch, with friendly reps, timely responses, and the ability to smoothly and accurately handle all manner of issues. Our sole gripe is that there’s no way to attach files to the email form, but that’s easily solved by sending your message directly to the support email rather than using the form.

Ivacy VPN Pricing

Ivacy offers one service tier: unlimited bandwidth, unlimited server switches, uncapped speeds, and five simultaneous connections.

Four pricing tiers are available, with three being offered plainly on the checkout page: one month for $9.95, one year for $40 (equivalent to $3.33 per month), and two years for $54 (equivalent to $2.25 per month). The fourth, five years for $80 (or $1.33 per month), is shown as a “special offer” if you move your cursor to the top of the Ivacy website, or by going directly to the special offer page.

Two add-on options are available: a NAT firewall plus port forwarding for an additional $1 per month and a dedicated IP address for an additional $1.99 per month. The dedicated IP is useful for certain businesses, banking, and gaming applications that require you to have a consistent IP address. IPs from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, and the USA are available.

The one-month plan has a seven-day money-back guarantee, while the other plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Unfortunately, the guarantee does not apply if you pay with cryptocurrency or Paymentwall.

An Ivacy support base article suggests that a free trial is available, but following the link in the article leads you to a page where you can purchase a three-day trial for $2.50. It’s not the best value, especially considering that you can pay $9.95 for a month of service, try it for up to seven days and request a refund if you don’t like it.

Payment can be made through Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club, PayPal, Alipay, Perfect Money, Paymentwall and Bitcoin (via Bitpay).

Pricing Score: 4.5/5

Ivacy’s pricing is slightly below average at the monthly level and way below average at all other levels. The five-year plan, in particular, is astoundingly cheap at just $1.33 per month; it’s a long-term commitment, but if you like the service, it’s worth it.

We like that Ivacy allows you to purchase dedicated IPs, though we’re not as thrilled about having to purchase port forwarding and the NAT firewall, both of which are included with many other VPN services.

Payment options are diverse and include Bitcoin, always a huge plus in our book. We’d like to see other anonymous payment options offered as well, such as retailer gift cards and other cryptocurrencies like Litecoin and Ethereum.

Final Thoughts: 4/5

Ivacy isn’t for everyone, but then again, very few things are. Its influence in the VPN industry is undeniable, given that it pioneered split tunneling, but such innovation seems to have come at the cost of other aspects, such as support for Apple devices and a current, comprehensive support base.

Overall, though, the good far outweighs the bad: a sizable selection of servers, intuitive apps, broad streaming capabilities, and a very favorable no-logs policy are made even better by a sweet price point. If you can afford the lump sum for the long-term plans, they’re some of the best values we’ve seen from any VPN provider.

Windows and Android users, streaming fanatics, productivity fiends and privacy lovers will find a lot to like with Ivacy.

Related Questions

That’s all we’ve got for Ivacy, but we’re far from done with privacy. Check out one of these topics next!

What are the Most Budget-Friendly VPNs?

Digital privacy shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, but some VPN providers sure seem to disagree! Thankfully, companies like Ivacy VPN and NordVPN offer affordable VPNs that save both your money and your data.

What is a Dedicated IP?

When you connect to a VPN, you’re typically assigned a random IP address from your chosen server. But some VPN providers let you purchase a dedicated IP, which is brand-new and assigned to you and only you, making it great for banking, gaming and other applications that require a consistent IP address.