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IPVanish vs Express VPN

Kelly Avatar By: Kelly | Last updated November 16, 2020

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Introduction

To get a better picture of every VPN provider, it is prudent to do comparison side by side. That way, you will comprehensively compare every feature by feature until you get to the winner. That is the only trusted method you can use to decide between top and respected VPN providers like Express and IPVanish.   

In our comparison, we researched and tested every feature and the results are as discussed. Let’s jump right in and see who is better in the battle between Express VPN vs. IP Vanish

Torrenting

Considering a faster download speed by ExpressVPN, it is not a surprise it has an edge in torrenting performance. In addition, considering the fact that IPVanish is based in the US which is home to harsh copyright law that you have to comply with, you will not enjoy the freedom of torrenting. ExpressVPN is based on British Virgin Island where there is no Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that demands users' data.  

Otherwise, both offer great leak protection and will secure your IP address when torrenting. Besides, they allow torrenting on their servers without any restrictions. But all in all, ExpressVPN is the best for torrenting going by download speed and better jurisdiction. 

Netflix and streaming services

ExpressVPN does not only win in Netflix streaming in comparison to IPVanish, but it triumphs in the industry. It consistently connects to Netflix wherever you are with a stable speed. In addition, it works well with other streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Videos, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.  

On its side, Netflix streaming is a hit or miss to IPVanish VPN. It gets blocked more often by Netflix and other streaming platforms when you try to unblock other countries' catalogs.  

Connection

This could be the only area where IPVanish outshines Express. If you need a lot of connections, you can have 10 devices simultaneously with a single account without compromising on security. Express on the other hand offers 5 devices to connect all at the same time with a single subscription. While this is a smaller number compared to IPVanish, five devices are more than enough. 

Security and Encryption

This is one area where these two providers do pretty well. They passed all our security tests both in Windows, Androids, and Mac. They both have built-in leak protections that effectively prevent DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks. Besides, the kill switches perfectly work to protect your traffic when the VPN connection is lost. The only difference between these two kill switches is that the one for Express will notify you when the connection is lost.   

The two providers also use the best encryption and protocol to secure your data. The military-grade 256-bit AES and OpenVPN protocol are definitely one of the best you will find in the market. However, we discovered that none of them supports the WireGuard protocol as of now. WireGuard is a new development that is ideal for those who want more speed and protection at the same time. 

The only area where ExpressVPN company outsmart IPVanish is undergoing a third-party security audit. While ExpressVPN has successfully passed a third-party audit by Cure53, a firm in Berlin, IPVanish has not undergone any independent security audit. Who will you trust with your data? 

Privacy Policies

Let's begin with the no-log policy claim. ExpressVPN is one of the verified providers to be true to their no log claims. The provider has undergone a third-party audit.  

Even though IPVanish may claim to hold no logs of its users, the claim is not reassuring given that they have been quoted to have surrendered a user's data to the US authority in 2018. The information was used by the authority to investigate a crime. While a lot has changed since then, including a change in ownership, the company has not undergone any audit to verify their current no-log policy claims.  

Another important privacy factor is jurisdiction. IPVanish is based in the US which is a member of Five Eyes Surveillance. Another red flag! Quite a number of cases have emerged where the US privacy companies have been compelled to log users' data and hand it over to the authority. Given that the IPVanish has fallen victim to this circumstance in the past, there is no assurance that they can't repeat the same thing right now.   

ExpressVPN, on the other hand, is based in the British Virgin Islands, a country that respects privacy. Even though the region is historically connected to the UK, the Caribbean country is an independent political and legal entity that cannot be forced to give in data demand by the UK authority. 

Pricing

While IPVanish is a little bit generous in their pricing, Express offers a 1-year plan with a 49% discount and 3 months free. This is the best deal you will find in the market. IPVanish is not left behind when it comes to discounts. It comes with three plans, monthly, quarterly, and annual plans with the latter being the better deal. The annual plan offers a 57% discount off the monthly plan. 

Final Verdict: Express VPN is the winner.

The winner in this comparison is clearly ExpressVPN. It emerged at the top in almost all the categories with IPVanish winning only in connection to devices. For that reason, when choosing between Express VPN and IPVanish, the former is the one to go for unless you are looking for the one that can connect many devices simultaneously.  

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