IPVanish review (2026): unlimited devices, audited no-logs and a steep renewal

What IPVanish is in 2026

IPVanish is a US-based VPN owned by Ziff Davis, the media company behind PCMag, Mashable and IGN. It has been through a few owners over the years, and older reviews (including our earlier one) still name StackPath in Dallas. That is out of date. IPVanish now lists a contact address at 360 Park Avenue South in New York.

The product has grown well beyond a plain VPN. It is now sold in three tiers:

• Essential: the VPN on unlimited devices, Threat Protection (an ad, tracker and malicious-site blocker), 24/7 live chat and 3GB of eSIM data for travel.
• Complete: Essential plus antivirus for Windows and Mac, and phone support.
• Advanced: Complete plus Secure Browser, 1TB of Livedrive cloud backup and another 2GB of eSIM data.

The network has grown too. IPVanish lists more than 3,650 servers and 56,000 shared IP addresses in more than 150 locations. Most of that capacity sits in North America (more than 1,440 servers) and Europe (more than 690), with thinner coverage elsewhere: Africa has seven cities, from Algiers to Johannesburg. For a US or European user that spread is plenty. If you need many addresses in Africa or the Middle East, check the list before you buy.

The main selling point is the one IPVanish leads with on every page: one account, as many devices as you like.

Signing up and setting up

You buy on the website with a card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, UnionPay, Diners Club), PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay or Amazon Pay. IPVanish does not list cryptocurrency or cash, and you need an email address to create the account. If you would rather try before paying, IPVanish says its iOS and Android apps offer a 7-day free trial.

Then you install the app for each device. IPVanish has its own apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, Android and Apple Vision Pro, plus TV apps for Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, NVIDIA SHIELD, Google Chromecast, onn 4K and Nokia Streaming Box. The Linux app supports Ubuntu, Fedora, Kali Linux, Linux Mint, Lubuntu and Pop!_OS. For a games console or smart TV without an app, you set the VPN up on your router, or buy a router that comes with IPVanish already installed.

The apps open on a server list where each location shows its current ping and load, so picking a fast server takes a few seconds. If you would rather not choose, the Default Location option picks a nearby server based on your real IP address and how busy each server is. You can bookmark the servers you use often as favorites and sort the list by ping, city or country.

IPVanish pitches the apps at beginners and experienced users alike. Most people can sign in, press connect and leave the rest alone, while options such as Threat Protection and split tunneling sit in the Settings screen.

Privacy: what it logs, audits and RAM-only servers

IPVanish's privacy record is mixed, and its current claims are better documented than they used to be.

IPVanish says it does not log the sites you visit, the content or destination of your traffic, your DNS requests, connection time stamps, or the IP addresses it assigns you. Schellman Compliance audited that policy in April 2025, and Leviathan Security audited it in April 2022. Customers can download the full audit report from the Security Reports section of their account. IPVanish also follows the VPN Trust Initiative principles, an industry group it helped found.

The no-logs page is also honest about what it does keep. To stop people sharing one account far and wide (the downside of unlimited devices) and to catch account hacking, IPVanish uses your username, your starting IP address, and each session's start time, length and traffic volume. It does not say how long it keeps that data. It also keeps your email address and payment details, and its apps send anonymous crash and performance data. Connection logs stay on your device, switched off by default, unless you choose to send them to support.

The quarterly transparency reports give you something more concrete than a policy. Between July and September 2026, IPVanish received 7 government, police and civil requests, no National Security Letters and 6,436 copyright notices, and it says it handed over data for none of them. The earlier quarters back to late 2024 show the same zero in the data-provided column.

Two caveats. First, the servers are not all RAM-only yet. IPVanish runs a mix of disk-based and RAM-only hardware, gives you an app filter to pick RAM-only servers, and plans to finish the move in 2027. Second, longtime VPN buyers will remember reports that IPVanish handed connection records to US investigators in 2016, under a previous owner. IPVanish's no-logs page refers to "previous incidents" and the changes made since, without giving details. The audits and reports are the better guide to how it works today, but the history explains why some privacy buyers still avoid it.

IPVanish is based in the US. It argues that US law does not require VPN providers to keep data and gives customers consumer protection. If you want a provider outside US jurisdiction, that argument will not change your mind.

The main features in daily use

Protocols. WireGuard is the default and the one most people should use, since it connects quickly and holds speed well. OpenVPN over TCP or UDP is there for networks that block WireGuard, and it has a Scramble option that disguises VPN traffic as ordinary traffic. IPVanish recommends OpenVPN with Scramble over WireGuard when a network uses deep packet inspection, which is common in hotels, offices and some countries. IKEv2 is the third option, useful on a phone that keeps switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. IPVanish has dropped the older PPTP, L2TP and IPSec protocols.

Kill switch. The kill switch blocks all internet traffic on your device if the VPN drops, so your real IP address never leaks during a reconnect. It is built into the Windows, macOS, Android and iOS apps. On Fire TV you install a separate Kill Switch companion app, which is one more thing to install.

Split tunneling. You can choose apps, websites or both that should skip the VPN. A common setup is to send your banking app and your local TV service around the VPN while everything else goes through it. It works on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire TV and Apple Vision Pro, which is wider support than many VPNs offer on TV boxes.

Double Hop. This routes your traffic through two IPVanish servers you pick, so the site you visit only sees the exit server and your entry server only sees you. It is on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. Expect slower speeds, and keep it for times when you want the extra distance between you and the site.

Threat Protection. Every plan includes this DNS-level blocker for ads, trackers and known malware and phishing domains. It only works while the VPN is connected. The antivirus on the Complete plan goes further.

SOCKS5 proxy. Every plan includes a SOCKS5 proxy. It changes the IP address an app shows without encrypting its traffic, which some people use in a torrent client to keep speeds up.

Free tools and eSIM data. IPVanish also gives you a link checker, QR code checker, password generator and data breach checker, plus 3GB of eSIM mobile data (5GB on Advanced) to use when you travel.

Streaming, torrenting and travel

IPVanish leans hard on streaming in its marketing, and its TV apps are one of its real strengths. Having native apps for Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, NVIDIA SHIELD and Chromecast means you do not have to fiddle with router setups to protect the living room. Split tunneling on Fire TV also lets you leave a local service outside the VPN.

Which streaming libraries work through a VPN changes from month to month, and we did not test specific services for this update. Treat any review that promises a service "always works" with suspicion.

For torrenting, the pages we checked do not set out a P2P policy, so we cannot tell you which servers allow it. The transparency reports show IPVanish receives thousands of copyright notices every quarter (6,436 between July and September 2026) and says it provided no data in response. The SOCKS5 proxy and the kill switch are the two features a torrent user will care about most.

For travel, the 150-plus locations, the Scramble option and the bundled eSIM data are useful together. IPVanish also runs an Emergency VPN program that gives three months of free service to eligible journalists and others facing censorship or surveillance, approved at its discretion.

The Complete and Advanced plans

Most people only need Essential. The higher tiers make sense if you would otherwise pay for the same extras elsewhere.

Complete adds antivirus to the Windows and macOS apps. It runs quick, full and custom scans, checks downloads and web pages in real time, and works when the VPN is off. Network protection, which watches for suspicious traffic, is Windows only. Complete also adds phone support. On the 2-year plan, Complete costs $14.40 more than Essential for the first term and $10 a year more at renewal.

Advanced adds two products. Secure Browser runs each browser tab on IPVanish's servers and streams it to you, so downloads and scripts never touch your device, and it wipes the session when you close the tab. You can open it from the Windows and Mac apps, through extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, or on the web. Advanced also includes 1TB of Livedrive cloud storage, which backs up 1 computer and 5 mobile devices and keeps deleted files for 30 days. Livedrive is a sister company under the same group.

If you already pay for cloud backup or antivirus, skip the bundles. If you do not, Advanced at $78.96 for two years is a cheap way to get 1TB of backup, as long as you plan to move or cancel before it renews at $129.99 a year.

Pricing and value

Prices checked November 4, 2026, in US dollars, before tax.

Plan	Monthly	Yearly (first year)	2 years (first term)	Renews at
Essential	$14.99	$46.68	$52.56	$99.99 a year
Complete	$15.99	$57.48	$66.96	$109.99 a year
Advanced	$17.99	$64.68	$78.96	$129.99 a year

The first term is good value. $52.56 for two years of Essential works out at $2.19 a month, close to the $2.03 a month Private Internet Access charges on its current 3-year offer.

The renewal is where the value drops. Both the yearly and 2-year plans renew every 12 months at the full yearly rate, so a 2-year Essential plan costs $52.56 for years one and two and $99.99 for year three. That third year alone costs nearly twice what you paid for the first two. IPVanish says it emails you before it changes a price. Its pages do not mention a reminder before an ordinary renewal, so set your own.

The monthly plan, at $14.99, is expensive and comes with no money-back guarantee. The 30-day guarantee only covers yearly and 2-year plans; cancel one of those in the Control Panel within 30 days and IPVanish says the refund arrives within three business days. Canceling a monthly plan does not trigger a refund, and you have to contact support.

One oddity: IPVanish's renewal price page lists the Complete plan renewing at $57.48 or $66.96 a year, while the pricing page FAQ says $109.99. We have used the FAQ figure. Check what your checkout says before you pay.

IPVanish also runs coupon offers from time to time on a separate coupons page, aimed at new and former customers.

Support

Our old review complained that IPVanish had no live chat. That has changed. Every plan now includes 24/7 live chat and email tickets, and the Complete and Advanced plans add phone support. IPVanish's pages disagree on the phone hours: one says 24/7, another says standard business hours, so assume business hours.

The website also has setup guides for each platform, and the app's diagnostic logs can be exported if support needs them. You can edit personal details out of that file before sending it.

We could not open IPVanish's help center from our test location for this update, so we have not judged the quality of its knowledge base.

IPVanish compared with Private Internet Access and Surfshark

All three VPNs let you connect as many devices as you like, so the choice comes down to price over time, privacy proof and extras.

Private Internet Access is the closest match. It is also US-based and sets no device limit, and its monthly plan is cheaper ($11.95 against $14.99). The big difference is renewals: PIA's 1-year plan costs $47.88 and renews at the same $47.88, while IPVanish's Essential yearly plan costs $46.68 and then renews at $99.99. PIA also publishes the code for its apps. IPVanish has the better spread of TV apps and 24/7 live chat with phone support on higher tiers. If you plan to keep a VPN for several years, PIA is the cheaper and more transparent buy.

Surfshark VPN sells its VPN in bundles that include antivirus, Alternative ID (a spare email identity), scam protection and, in some countries, Incogni data removal and US identity theft coverage. Its 30-day money-back guarantee covers all its plans. Choose Surfshark if you want those identity tools. Choose IPVanish if you want cloud backup and a cloud-isolated browser, which Surfshark's bundles do not list.

For a dedicated IP address in the plan, ExpressVPN includes one on its Express Pro tier, with a cap of 14 devices. For the most private sign-up, Mullvad VPN gives you an account number with no email and accepts cash, for up to 5 devices.

Our verdict

IPVanish is a good VPN for a busy household. Unlimited devices, apps for nearly every TV box and live chat at any hour make it easy to cover the whole family, and the audits and quarterly reports give its no-logs claim more support than it had a few years ago.

Buy it on a 2-year plan if the first-term price suits you, and put the renewal date in your calendar. At $99.99 a year from year three, it is no longer a bargain, and that is the moment to compare it again with Private Internet Access or Surfshark.

Pricing and value

As of November 4, 2026, Essential costs $14.99 a month, $46.68 for the first year or $52.56 for the first 2 years ($2.19 a month). Complete ($15.99, $57.48 or $66.96) adds antivirus and phone support, and Advanced ($17.99, $64.68 or $78.96) adds Secure Browser and 1TB of cloud backup. After the first term, yearly and 2-year plans renew every year at $99.99 (Essential), $109.99 (Complete) or $129.99 (Advanced), plus tax. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers yearly and 2-year plans only, and IPVanish says its iOS and Android apps offer a 7-day free trial. There is no free plan.

Who should buy it

• Families and shared homes that want every phone, laptop and streaming stick on one account.
• Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV owners who want a native app with split tunneling on the TV itself.
• Beginners who want a simple app and the option of live chat at 3 a.m.
• Anyone who would use 1TB of cloud backup and a secure browser, and would otherwise pay for them separately.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who wants a low price beyond the first term; Private Internet Access renews at the same price you first pay.
• Month-to-month buyers who want a refund window, since the monthly plan has none.
• Privacy buyers who want open-source apps, an all RAM-only network today, or a provider outside the US.
• People who want to sign up without an email or pay in cash; Mullvad VPN suits them better.