Interface And Setup
IPVanish’s product slick isn’t shy. “IPVanish is the only true tier-1 VPN service in the world,” it trumpets. “We deliver the best VPN speeds, the most secure connections, and the most competitive pricing anywhere.”
Well, we’re not sure exactly what constitutes a “tier-1 VPN,” and let’s ignore that there are free alternatives and cheaper subscription services, including Private Internet Access (below). With pricing pennies away from that of HMA!, IPVanish covers the gamut on client compatibility: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Ubuntu, router installation and even Chromebook. Yes, we’d say IPVanish’s UI is just a pinch friendlier than HMA!’s, even though it lacks some of HMA!’s sweet speed diagnostics. It’s a close call, but we do like that within the Server Selection page, you can sort with By Use, List and Map tabs. The By Use option is a bit simplistic: You can select either “Fastest Server” or “Media and Gaming” for the U.S., U.K. or Canadian regions. But sure, if you want a shortcut that avoids sorting through ping times or map dragging, there you go.
All told, IPVanish boasts over 140 VPN servers across 76 cities in 61 countries. This accounts for over 14,000 IP addresses. The company allows you to have two simultaneous VPN connections and offers your choice of OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP protocols. Also note that IPVanish comes with 24x7 human support and a seven-day money-back guarantee. The company reports that they perform no user activity monitoring or logging.
