IPVanish

In 2016, under prior ownership, IPVanish provided user connection logs to the DHS — directly contradicting the active no-logs policy at the time. Ziff Davis acquired the company in 2019 and restated a revised policy. Two independent no-logs audits under current Ziff Davis ownership: Leviathan Security Group (April 2022) and Schellman Compliance LLC (February 2025). No full infrastructure architecture audit published separately. No legal test under current ownership.

The 2016 DHS disclosure is court-documented — not an allegation. IPVanish provided subscriber and connection logs under a prior ownership structure while a no-logs policy was active. Ziff Davis acquired IPVanish in 2019 and revised the policy. Two independent no-logs audits under current Ziff Davis ownership: Leviathan Security Group (April 2022) and Schellman Compliance LLC (February 2025). No full infrastructure architecture audit published. No real-world legal test under current ownership exists. US jurisdiction is structurally the most challenging position in the privacy category: Five Eyes, no constitutional metadata protection, compelled-cooperation legal precedent. Crypto payments aren't accepted, so no anonymous subscription path exists.

WireGuard runs across all four major platforms. Scramble XOR obfuscation applies to OpenVPN only — WireGuard traffic can't be disguised. The kill switch operates on Windows and macOS but not on iOS or Android, meaning mobile users have no traffic protection during reconnections.

WireGuard available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. OpenVPN UDP and TCP as alternatives. Scramble XOR obfuscation on OpenVPN for restricted-network environments — doesn't apply to WireGuard. Kill switch system-wide on Windows and macOS. Mobile platforms have no kill switch: if the VPN drops during a mobile session, traffic routes unprotected until reconnection. Double Hop available (launched December 2024) — routes through two servers on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. The mobile kill switch gap is the security limitation most relevant to daily usage patterns where the device frequently changes network conditions.

IPVanish markets toward Kodi and IPTV use cases — general streaming where you find a working server from the general fleet rather than infrastructure maintained for specific platform access. Netflix and major platform unblocking is possible but inconsistent, requiring manual server selection rather than automated routing.

No dedicated streaming servers, no SmartDNS, no labeled platform categories. IPVanish's streaming positioning centers on IPTV and Kodi, which relies on general IP rotation rather than maintained platform-specific infrastructure. Netflix access is reported on some servers — dependent on current IP block status. When a platform blocks an IP, recovery requires manual server switching. For users whose primary use case is consistent access to specific streaming platforms, IPVanish requires more active troubleshooting than providers with dedicated streaming infrastructure.

IPVanish states it owns and operates all server hardware — no cloud provider hosting. That claim addresses one infrastructure trust dimension. No independent audit has verified the architecture, and RAM-only rollout started September 2025 across selected servers — partial deployment with roadmap to 2026–2027.

IPVanish states all servers are owned and operated hardware — no cloud provider hosting. This provides infrastructure control that cloud-hosted VPNs lack, though no independent audit has verified the claim. WireGuard is the primary modern protocol. The fleet covers major regions. RAM-only partial rollout started September 2025 deployment published. For standard use cases — browsing, IPTV access, general anonymity — throughput is adequate. The owned-hardware claim addresses one trust concern; the absence of verification means it remains a stated policy position.

The interface surfaces server load and latency data — you make routing decisions based on current conditions rather than accepting automatic server assignment. That's useful for users who want control over connection quality. Split tunneling available on Android and Windows. Secure Browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge (remote browser isolation).

Server lists display real-time load and ping metrics — you're selecting based on current infrastructure conditions, not abstracted from them. This works well for users comfortable making routing decisions; it asks more engagement than single-button designs. Split tunneling available on Android and Windows — macOS and iOS support unconfirmed in official documentation. Secure Browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge (remote browser isolation). Fire TV and Apple TV apps extend to streaming devices. The interface assumes users are comfortable reading server data rather than having decisions made automatically.

Unlimited simultaneous connections cover households without router workarounds. Native Linux app and Secure Browser extension broaden platform coverage, while the extension is remote browser isolation rather than a standard VPN proxy.

Unlimited simultaneous connections means every device in a household can run IPVanish concurrently without router-level workarounds. Fire TV and Apple TV apps cover streaming devices. Secure Browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge (remote browser isolation) — browser-specific routing requires the full application. Native Linux app available. The unlimited connection allowance is the clearest device coverage differentiator for multi-device households.

Annual plan pricing is standard for the category. The money-back window applies to annual plans only — monthly subscriptions are excluded. For privacy-sensitive users, the value calculation includes jurisdiction and the 2016 history alongside subscription cost.

Annual pricing is publicly listed and consistent. Money-back guarantee covers annual plans; monthly subscriptions are excluded from the refund window. Renewal pricing is higher than introductory rates. No free tier. Crypto payment unavailable. The value question for privacy-conscious users isn't only about price: US jurisdiction and an unverified no-logs claim under the current ownership structure affect what the subscription actually delivers in terms of privacy protection, independent of what it costs.

No documented infrastructure incidents under Ziff Davis ownership since 2019. The 2016 logging disclosure occurred under a prior owner under a prior policy — documented in court records, not IPVanish's own communications. RAM-only partial rollout started September 2025 architecture, no uptime SLA, no formal incident disclosure channel.

Under Ziff Davis ownership since 2019, no infrastructure incidents have been publicly documented. The 2016 DHS disclosure happened under Highwinds Network Group ownership — a different corporate structure, a different policy regime, documented through court records rather than IPVanish's own disclosure. RAM-only partial rollout started September 2025 deployment published for the current infrastructure. No formal uptime SLA. No public incident communication channel beyond standard support. The stability picture since 2019 is an absence of documented problems rather than positive infrastructure commitments.