Ivacy VPN vs PureVPN 2024

Many VPNs claim to be the best, but in my experience, no claims made by a VPN can be taken at face value. The only way to know for sure if a VPN is as good as advertised is to test it yourself.

I’ve done the hard work for you by comparing Ivacy and PureVPN so you can decide which one to get. My tests were extensive, covering every possible category including speed, security features, pricing, device compatibility, whether it works in China, and more.

Based on the data I collected, I recommend PureVPN — it’s faster, uses quantum-resistant encryption, and unblocks streaming channels reliably. PureVPN also comes with a 31-day money-back guarantee so you can try it without any risk.

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No Time? Here’s a 1-Minute Summary

PureVPN is the overall winner because my tests showed it has more powerful security and privacy features to protect your data, like quantum-resistant keys and fully-audited servers. But Ivacy is great if you need a decent all-around VPN on a low budget.

Pricing	As low as $2.03 per month for the 2-year + 3 months-year plan	As low as $1.17 per month for the 5-year-year plan
Streaming	Works reliably with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO, BBC iPlayer, and more	Has optimized servers for streaming Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO, BBC iPlayer, and more
Servers	6,000+ servers in over 65 countries	5,700+ servers in over 56 countries
Speed	Local speed test: 16% decrease from baseline speed Long-distance US server speed test: 19% decrease from baseline speed	Local speed test: 30% decrease from baseline speed Long-distance US server speed test: 33% decrease from baseline speed
Security	Military grade 256-bit encryption Quantum-Resistant encryption keys DNS and IP leak protection Internet kill switch on all devices	Military grade 256-bit encryption DNS and IP leak protection Internet kill switch on Windows and Android Malware protection
Torrenting	5 minutes to download 3GB video	8 minutes to download 3GB video
China	Works in China with some tweaks	Unreliable in China
Gaming	4% increase in latency compared to baseline	15% increase in latency compared to baseline
Device Compatibility	Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, routers, gaming consoles, and more Doesn’t have native apps for smart TVs Up to 10 simultaneous connections	Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, routers, gaming consoles, and more Has native apps for smart TVs Up to 10 simultaneous connections
Company Jurisdiction	Headquartered in the British Virgin Islands which is outside the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes Alliances	Based in Singapore which is outside the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes Alliances
Privacy Policy	No-log policy verified by KPMG under Always-on Audit clause	An unverified no-log policy
Payment and Refunds	Accepts major credit cards, Paypal, and cryptocurrencies 31-day money-back guarantee	Accepts major credit cards, Paypal, cryptocurrencies, Perfect Money, Dot Pay, iDEAL, and many more 30-day money-back guarantee
Customer Support	Fast support via live chat, email, online forums, and an extensive online knowledge base	Fast support via live chat, email, and an extensive online knowledge base

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13 Categories of Comparison for Ivacy VPN vs PureVPN

1. Pricing — Compared the value provided by both VPNs and how each refund policy works by doing real-life tests.
2. Streaming — Investigated whether PureVPN and Ivacy can unblock Netflix and other major streaming services.
3. Servers — Evaluated the total number of servers, global network distribution, and the ability of each VPN to bypass firewalls.
4. Speed — Completed extensive tests of both VPNs to find their average speed along with any performance difference between local and long-distance servers.
5. Security — Looked at encryption protocols, reviewed privacy policies, and checked other important security and privacy features.
6. Torrenting — Tested torrent support and speeds on P2P file-sharing networks by downloading the same legal, public domain file using both VPNs.
7. China — Assessed if the VPNs can bypass the Great Firewall of China reliably.
8. Gaming — Tried several online games to see if each VPN has the speed, ping rate, and security features to support safe and lag-free online games.
9. Device Compatibility — Figured out which devices the VPNs are compatible with and if there are any differences between the features available on various platforms.
10. Company Jurisdiction — Analyzed where the VPNs are headquartered and how their location and audit results could affect your privacy.
11. Privacy Policy — Went through the privacy policies to determine if data is collected, stored, or shared with third parties.
12. Payment and Refunds — Reviewed the various payment methods and determined if it’s challenging to get a refund.
13. Customer Support — Looked into the response times and depth of support agents’ knowledge.

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1. Pricing — Ivacy Has Lower Prices Than PureVPN

Ivacy is more affordable than PureVPN if you get a long-term plan. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll get with each subscription type:

Another reason Ivacy wins this category is that you’ll get its free password manager called SAASPASS when you subscribe to the 5-year plan. PureVPN has a similar product called PureKeep, which costs a small additional fee.

Although it’s not free, Ivacy and PureVPN do offer paid trial accounts at $0.99 for 7 days. While PureVPN offers a refund for trial accounts if you’re not happy, Ivacy does not. Both VPNs’ longer-term plans are backed by a money-back guarantee, but PureVPN’s refund window is a day longer than Ivacy’s.

Additionally, Ivacy and PureVPN offer a free Chrome extension to browse the internet anonymously. It’s a great alternative if you don’t want to download a desktop app and prefer a lightweight option to access global sites. But unlike PureVPN, Ivacy’s free Chrome plugin doesn’t include encryption — it gives you a new IP address, but your connection won’t be protected from hackers. These extensions also only protect your web browsing, while the best truly free VPNs give you encryption that protects all your online activities.

Both of these VPNs are priced fairly. PureVPN’s more advanced encryption and audited no-logs policy provide a good value for money despite the higher cost of most plans. However, based solely on price, Ivacy is a strong budget-friendly VPN considering all that it can do.

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2. Streaming — PureVPN is More Reliable for Unblocking Streaming Sites

PureVPN beat Ivacy in this category because it worked better than Ivacy at unblocking Netflix.

My first two tries to connect to Ivacy servers failed until I restarted my PC and tried again. Though the problem never resurfaced and I could connect to any Ivacy server after the initial issues, I never had connection issues with PureVPN.

Once connected to a server in the US, both VPNs were able to access all TV channels like NBC and PBS. In addition to unblocking Netflix in the US, it’s possible to stream shows on the following sites with PureVPN and Ivacy:

The only difference is that Ivacy has optimized servers for each of these channels and many others. They were more reliable at unblocking their respective TV and movie services than Ivacy’s standard network, but the menu doesn’t include options for streaming Netflix libraries from outside the US.

On several of Ivacy’s regular servers, my team and I found that Netflix US and other countries showed error messages. Netflix US required a few tries before it could be unblocked, while Netflix South Korea and Japan were not accessible during tests.

You can connect to Ivacy’s optimized servers on all devices, including Android and iOS by expanding the Streaming option on the menu and selecting a channel. The regular servers can be connected to by selecting the Unblocking option and then a location.

PureVPN only has regular servers but no matter which one was selected, it could unblock content from the respective area. This includes Netflix in the US, Canada, Japan, and other libraries.

For reliable access to top streaming sites I recommend PureVPN, especially if it’s important that the VPN can unblock international Netflix content.

Stream Netflix with PureVPN

3. Servers — PureVPN Has a Bigger Server Network That’s Spread Across More Countries

PureVPN has more servers than Ivacy with locations in more countries, so it can access more global content and geo-blocked sites. Here’s the breakdown of each network:

Both VPNs have servers in popular locations such as the US, UK, Canada, Japan, India, and United Arab Emirates. But unlike Ivacy, PureVPN has virtual servers for smaller countries like Angola, Aruba, and Bangladesh. This unblocks more local content and makes it possible to access the internet safely from more countries.

For an additional fee, both VPNs offer dedicated servers which allow you to connect to the same IP address every time. This helps avoid CAPTCHAs and the restrictions placed on some websites. Both have dedicated servers in Australia, Canada, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and US, but PureVPN charges more for the service.

But without the premium features, PureVPN offers access to more servers and global content compared to Ivacy.

Access content with PureVPN

4. Speed — PureVPN is Faster for High-Bandwidth Activities

PureVPN has faster connection speeds than Ivacy.

First I tested my speeds on local and long-distance servers to see how much each VPN’s performance would change when my data has to travel a longer distance. Then I tested both VPNs in bandwidth-intensive situations like watching 4K videos and playing online games. To ensure accuracy, I used the same device connected to the same home WiFi. I also did several rounds of tests over the course of a few days and averaged out the speed.

During my analysis of PureVPN’s local servers, I recorded a 16% decrease from my baseline speed with no VPN connected. Long-distance servers on the other side of the US gave me a 19% decrease. This may sound like a big drop, but it was still plenty of speed for watching bufferless HD video.

As a result of its superior speeds, watching a video on YouTube with PureVPN was a lot smoother. Ivacy took about 10 seconds to load the video and then paused to buffer for about 3 seconds in the middle, whereas PureVPN played it right away and was never interrupted. That was because Ivacy’s servers were 20%-33% slower than my baseline speed

I also tested both VPNs’ speeds with several video calls. I connected to a PureVPN server and had smooth, uninterrupted Zoom calls with a friend. When I did the same test with Ivacy, my screen froze twice for 4-5 seconds during a 1.5 hour call.

For online activities that require high speeds, I recommend PureVPN. It’s also better than Ivacy if you rely on internet connectivity extensively throughout the day for work or entertainment.

Try PureVPN’s fast servers

5. Security — PureVPN has More Advanced Safety Features Than Ivacy

PureVPN is the winner of this category as it has quantum-resistant encryption keys and other security features that Ivacy doesn’t match.

Encryption Standard

PureVPN and Ivacy both have military-grade 256-bit encryption, which has never been broken. However, PureVPN takes a leap forward with its quantum-resistant encryption keys. The aim is to prevent encrypted traffic that’s captured today from being decrypted in the future by quantum computers that will be much more powerful than what currently exists.

Encryption Protocol

Both VPNs include the most popular encryption protocols like OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), IKEv2/IPSec, and WireGuard. OpenVPN is one of the most secure while IKEv2 performed the fastest during my tests. WireGuard combines both fast speeds and top security, but has some privacy drawbacks.

However, Ivacy has discontinued SSTP, L2TP, and PPTP protocols and only supports them in locations like Sydney, London, Germany, the Netherlands, Illinois, Washington DC, New York, California, Texas, and Florida. I don’t recommend using these protocols at all because they’re obsolete and not as secure as modern protocols like WireGuard and IKEv2.

Leak Protection

Though both VPNs have military-grade encryption, your data can still leak and expose your IP address and location. I tested PureVPN and Ivacy for 3 different leak types:

• DNS leak — DNS is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. Even when you’re connected to a VPN, your data can leak when requests are sent to your ISP’s DNS servers.
• IPv6 leak — Many VPNs can hide IPv4 web addresses, but not the newer IPv6 addresses. When this happens, a website or app can use your IPv6 address to determine your real location despite your VPN being turned on.
• WebRTC leak — WebRTC is used by certain web browsers for online phone and video calls and P2P file sharing. But a vulnerability in WebRTC allows a website to detect your device’s IP address even if you use a VPN.

Fortunately, my tests with PureVPN and Ivacy showed no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks. Data like my real location and browsing activities stayed hidden while I was connected.

There’s also a kill switch in both VPNs to disable your internet if your encrypted connection is interrupted, which would reveal your real IP address and location. Although this feature is included with PureVPN on all platforms, you won’t find it in Ivacy’s apps for Mac or iOS.

Malware Blocker

PureVPN has no malware protection, but Ivacy’s Secure Downloading feature blocks malicious files. This makes Ivacy the winner in this one security category as it uses a real-time threat detection technology to scan your downloads for viruses. Then Ivacy removes them before they reach your device.

In spite of not having a malware blocking feature, PureVPN has more to offer overall in terms of security compared to Ivacy.

Secure your data with PureVPN

6. Torrenting — PureVPN is Faster for P2P File Sharing

PureVPN is faster than Ivacy for torrenting, and I felt safer using it on P2P networks because of its more advanced security features. It took me 3 minutes less to anonymously download a 3GB public domain video file compared to Ivacy.

Both VPNs have servers optimized for file sharing in Germany, the Netherlands, Panama, Nigeria, the UAE, and other countries. Both also include a port forwarding feature for an extra fee. Though it’s not necessary for torrenting, it can help speed up downloads by bypassing certain firewalls. Neither VPN has a SOCKS5 proxy, which is another option some VPNs have to support faster torrent speeds.

To its credit, Ivacy’s offer Secure Downloading feature is great for file-sharing because it scans torrents remove viruses and malware before they can harm your device. But since Ivacy has slower speeds and its kill switch doesn’t work on Mac or iOS, I recommend PureVPN for torrenting. A kill switch is really important for torrenting, since it’s the only line of defense for retaining your privacy and security during a lost connection.

Torrent safely with PureVPN

7. China — PureVPN Can Bypass the Great Firewall of China

PureVPN works better than Ivacy for China, but it still isn’t fully reliable there.

The only solution that occasionally made Ivacy work on the Chinese mainland was changing the default protocol to L2TP, SSTP, or PPTP. With PureVPN, OpenVPN worked best from within the country and connected more reliably than Ivacy. Neither VPN would connect 100% of the time, however.

To get the fastest connections requires servers that are located close to China. Both PureVPN and Ivacy have reliable networks in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. These are generally the best servers to try from the Chinese mainland to get solid speeds.

Neither of these VPNs are recommended for business travels to China, since they don’t consistently bypass the firewall to access foreign content and services. Plus, there are better VPNs that work in China. However, if PureVPN and Ivacy are the only options, it’s important to download them before entering the country since both websites are blocked in the country.

If you have to pick one of these VPNs, opt for PureVPN in China as it’s much more effective at bypassing the Great Firewall.

Try PureVPN for China

8. Gaming — PureVPN has Lower Latency for Online Gaming

Latency refers to how many milliseconds it takes for your device to respond to the server, and PureVPN has lower latency for smooth online gaming. The lower the latency, the better the connection and the smoother your gaming experience will be.

I used both VPNs to play a few of my favorite games and measured latency on a variety of local servers. Here are my results:

Although the difference isn’t much, PureVPN’s ping beat Ivacy’s on all the games I tried by 4 ms on average. While it didn’t perform as consistently as the best VPNs for Call of Duty: Warzone and other games, I was able to enjoy fast-paced Counter Strike matches without lags.

One thing that can suck the joy out of gaming is a DDoS attack on your bandwidth to make your game lag, especially when you’re winning a match. Both PureVPN and Ivacy offer protection to prevent unhappy players and third parties from crashing your game. However, PureVPN charges an extra fee for DDoS protection to keep your IP address hidden from attackers while Ivacy offers it for free.

PureVPN and Ivacy gave me smooth gameplay, but I recommend PureVPN for gaming due to its faster response times.

Start gaming with PureVPN

9. Device Compatibility — Both VPNs Work on Common Platforms

Ivacy and PureVPN score a tie for device compatibility as both allow you to connect up to 10 devices at the same time. Plus, both have shortcomings and upsides in different areas.

Ivacy has native apps for all major devices, including smart TVs. For PureVPN to work on certain smart TVs it needs to be configured on a router, which is quite technical. On the other hand, Ivacy has a kill switch and split tunneling only on Windows and Android while PureVPN has a consistent feature set across its apps.

Since this category is a tie, I recommend PureVPN if you use Mac or iOS. If you need a VPN for your smart TV, you should get Ivacy.

10. Company Jurisdiction — Both VPNs are Located Outside the 14 Eyes Alliance Countries

This is a tie since neither PureVPN nor Ivacy is headquartered in a country that’s part of the 5, 9, or 14 Eyes Alliances.

PureVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands and Ivacy’s headquarters are in Singapore, so they’re not compelled by any data retention laws to log or share your personal details.

Going through PureVPN’s website page-by-page, I found a warrant canary statement which Ivacy doesn’t have. It’s a way for VPNs to be transparent about whether or not they’ve been served with an official letter, warrant, or subpoena asking to disclose private user data.

Although both VPNs allow you to pay without revealing your identity, Ivacy has options to pay with Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies via BitPay or CoinGate. PureVPN limits anonymous payments to Bitcoin, LTC, and ETH.

Since both of these VPNs are based outside the 14 Eyes Alliance countries, this category is a tie. If you need more anonymous payment options, use Ivacy. If the warrant canary matters to you more, go for PureVPN.

11. Privacy Policy — PureVPN’s No-Log Policy is Audited by KPMG

PureVPN is the winner here since KPMG has audited and verified that the VPN doesn’t log your activities. Furthermore, PureVPN’s Always-On Audit clause means KPMG can inspect the VPN’s processes and servers at any time, without prior notice. Although Ivacy has a no-logging policy, it has never been verified by an independent third party.

Here’s the information that both VPNs collect based on their privacy policies:

In terms of privacy, I recommend using PureVPN since it’s audited by an independent third party.

Stay private online with PureVPN

12. Payment and Refunds — You Get Many More Payment Options With Ivacy

Although I would still rank both PureVPN and Ivacy as 2 of the top month-to-month VPNs, Ivacy offers many more payment options from credit cards to cryptocurrencies. Plus, it’s a lot easier to get a refund from Ivacy compared to PureVPN.

Here are some of the most important details concerning both VPNs’ payment and refund policies:

At first, Ivacy’s refund policy seemed less favorable than PureVPN because I only had 7 days to ask for a refund with its monthly plan. But when I asked for my money back, Ivacy processed my request within 24 hours and I got my money back on day 15.

However with PureVPN, canceling my account required answering multiple questions over several emails. I was even offered 2 months of free service if I stayed. I spent a week of going back and forth via email and online chat, and finally got my money after more than 3 weeks of waiting. I recommend Ivacy for more payment options and an easier refund process.

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13. Customer Support — PureVPN Has Community Forums on Slack and Reddit

I contacted both PureVPN and Ivacy via live chat and email, and found both response times and answers satisfactory.

After testing each support method, I preferred the live chat option since both VPNs remained true to their word and had an agent to answer my questions 24/7. I got my responses in less than 3 minutes to each of my questions about using a VPN in China, my refund status, RAM-based servers, and device compatibility. Their responses solved my issues and the agents were always polite.

There were a couple times with each of these VPNs that a live chat agent would start answering my questions promptly, then suddenly take 8-10 minutes to answer follow-up questions. It wasn’t great compared to top VPNs like ExpressVPN giving me chat support answers in 3 minutes or less, but not a big deal as long as you’re not in a big rush.

I sent an email to each VPN at night expecting a response by morning and I wasn’t disappointed. Both Ivacy and PureVPN answered my queries with detailed explanations about the secure downloading feature and quantum-resistant encryption keys.

I had no problems communicating with either VPN’s support team. However, if English is your second language you might face some difficulties — these VPNs’ knowledge bases, live chat, and email support are only available in English.

One thing that impressed me about PureVPN’s support is its community forums on Slack and Reddit. It’s not meant for customer support but you can share your ideas directly with the product team. Also, you’ll get to test new features before they’re officially rolled out.

Although both support teams were helpful and responded quickly, PureVPN’s customer service has a slight edge since it has 2 public forums.

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And the Winner Is… PureVPN

PureVPN is the overall winner scoring better in 9 out of 13 categories, with 2 ties.

• Pricing: Ivacy
• Streaming: PureVPN
• Servers: PureVPN
• Speed: PureVPN
• Security: PureVPN
• Torrenting: PureVPN
• China: PureVPN
• Gaming: PureVPN
• Device Compatibility: Tie
• Company Jurisdiction: Tie
• Privacy Policy: PureVPN
• Payment and Refunds: Ivacy
• Customer Support: PureVPN

Neither PureVPN nor Ivacy is one of the top-ranked premium VPNs, but they both have standout features that warrant a closer look. PureVPN’s quantum-resistant encryption and Ivacy’s secure download malware blocker are especially notable.

Ivacy is great if you need a VPN on a tight budget and prefer more payment methods to sign up anonymously. The VPN, Ivacy, provides sufficient connection speeds for streaming movies with minimal lag and smooth gaming. It also offers malware protection, a feature that is not commonly found in many VPNs.

However, PureVPN has powerful security and privacy features like quantum-resistant encryption keys and fully audited no-log servers. It also has consistently fast speeds for smooth streaming, gaming, and more. If streaming is a priority, PureVPN also gives access to a larger selection of buffer-free global content.

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