Ivacy VPN Review 2024: Before You Buy, Is It Worth It?

Reliably Fast Speeds On All Servers

Ivacy VPN provides relatively fast internet download speeds, with an average speed of 105Mbps on a 145Mbps internet connection. During my tests, I connected to several servers that consistently provided solid download speeds for smooth HD streaming and torrenting. However, I found that my upload speeds were inconsistent, which gave me issues with P2P file-sharing with others, video calling, and online gaming.

Speed Test Results

After conducting tests on multiple servers, I found that Ivacy VPN slowed my speeds by around 27% on average. My speeds never dropped below 76Mbps, which is more than fast enough for streaming and torrenting.

The only issue I had was with the inconsistency of upload speeds. For most servers, upload speeds were good — 30Mbps or more — but occasionally, my uploads would slow to just 3 or 4Mbps. These upload speeds meant I had difficulty uploading files, video calls would freeze or drop altogether, and my online games were slow and lagging.

The overall performance of Ivacy VPN was impressive for local and long-distance servers. Remember that VPN speeds can be quite subjective. It depends entirely on your connection and your geographical location. As a result, you may see different results in your speed test.

Gaming Speed — Good Gameplay Using Local Servers

As an avid gamer, I know how important it is that a VPN not only secures your data but maintains fast speeds for quick in-game responses. During my tests, Ivacy VPN performed well when I connected to local servers to play games online. My speeds were fast, and my latency (or ping) was around 50ms — anything less than 100ms is suitable for fast-paced online gaming.

Distant servers slowed my connection more, which meant I occasionally had some lag when gaming. I noticed my upload speeds were inconsistent — I had to run tests before starting my game to ensure upload speeds were fast enough for quick server responses. If my upload speeds were too slow, I couldn’t connect to the game server, so I had to change to a different Ivacy VPN server first.

If you want to play online games like Call of Duty: Warzone, League of Legends, and more with Ivacy VPN, I recommend connecting to local servers — you’ll get the best speeds and in-game response times.

Game online with Ivacy VPN

Server Network — 5,700+ Servers in Over 56 Countries

Ivacy VPN has an impressive global network of over 5,700+ servers in 56 countries. This is pretty good, given that the industry standard for server locations is around 30. Using a VPN with a large number of servers is an advantage as you’re less likely to face slower speeds due to congestion at peak traffic times.

At first, I found it unusual that I could only access 57 server locations on my Android device, as most VPNs offer the same number of servers across all platforms. However, the Ivacy VPN Android app only supports the OpenVPN protocol, which is only available in 57 locations. If you’re in need of a more robust server network on mobile, you could consider ExpressVPN, as it has a robust number of servers across all of its supported devices.

Range of Virtual Servers Increases Global Reach

I was impressed by the geographical distribution of the network, as there are servers available in Europe, North and South America, Asia Pacific, and Africa. Virtual servers account for about a quarter of the entire network of servers — these are marked with a “V” in the Ivacy VPN app.

A virtual VPN server is a server that is based outside of its advertised location. An example would be a VPN server with a German IP address but is physically located in France. Virtual VPN servers are generally not a security risk since most VPN providers build their own virtual machines using hardware they own or rent. This means they won’t expose your device to any additional risks. Ivacy VPN claims to own its virtual servers with no third-party interference, adding security to the network.

Torrenting — Has All Servers Optimized for P2P Sharing

With optimized P2P servers (called “Secure Download”) in more than 50 countries, Ivacy VPN is an excellent choice for torrenting. You can torrent with top-level security, including anti-virus and anti-malware protection, and have kill switch protection on all apps apart from iOS and Mac. In addition, Ivacy VPN does not collect any usage or connection logs, so your torrenting activity is always anonymous.

Ivacy VPN does not offer free SOCKS5 proxy servers, but it allows split tunneling on Windows and Android. I found this useful for encrypting my torrenting connection while also streaming on my local Netflix account.

As well as supporting popular torrent clients such as uTorrent and BitTorrent, Ivacy VPN unblocks torrent sites as well. My team and I do not condone illegal activities of any kind, so make sure you only torrent files that are in the public domain. Torrent activity is prohibited in some locations, so check your local laws and regulations before using Ivacy VPN to torrent.

Does Ivacy VPN Work in China? Maybe

Ivacy VPN sometimes works in China and other countries with limited internet access. To use Ivacy VPN in China, you have to configure Ivacy Prime using Tunnelblick. The process requires a few extra steps, but it’s not difficult. You can find the installation files and setup guides for Windows, Android, and Mac on the website. You can always contact the 24/7 support team for help if you need assistance with the process.

While it doesn’t have a 100% success rate, Ivacy Prime can often access blocked streaming sites and social networks, like Netflix and Facebook. Ivacy Prime doesn’t have a kill switch and only uses the OpenVPN protocol.

Previous users have confirmed that Ivacy VPN occasionally works in China, but it’s not always reliable. The best way to get Ivacy VPN to work is to switch between OpenVPN and L2TP, SSTP, or PPTP connections. Ivacy VPN’s optimized “Unblocking” servers are also worth trying, as these are designed specifically for restrictive networks and blocked content. China blocks VPNs intermittently, so playing around with different settings is necessary to avoid restrictions.

Security — Military-Grade Security for Windows and Android

When it comes to security, Ivacy VPN offers top-of-the-line encryption and security functions:

• 256-bit AES encryption to make any hacking or spying efforts virtually impossible
• A built-in kill switch prevents your IP address from accidentally leaking, disconnecting your internet whenever your VPN connection is lost — not available on Mac or iOS
• Secure Downloading feature — an effective malware scanner and blocker
• Split tunneling, which allows you to select which apps you want to exclude from the VPN connection

I was particularly impressed with Ivacy VPN’s Secure Downloading. It helps to protect your devices from viruses that may be hiding in your downloads — useful if you torrent frequently. You’ll have to enable the Secure Downloading feature in your app when you first install Ivacy VPN, but after that, it just runs in the background, so there’s no need to activate it each time.

Ivacy VPN’s split tunneling is also a valuable feature. Once switched on, a list appeared with the apps I could connect and disconnect from the VPN. Turning split tunneling on took under a minute, and the split tunneling worked perfectly. I excluded Netflix from the tunnel, which allowed faster speeds for streaming while I was still able to encrypt my browser activity.

Multiple Protocols Available

Ivacy VPN uses advanced tunneling protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP, and L2TP/IPSec, to protect your online communications against unauthorized access.

If you are running Windows, you can select OpenVPN (UDP), OpenVPN (TCP), L2TP/IPsec, and IKEv2 protocols. OpenVPN is the best solution because of its speed, reliability, and unbreakable nature. The open-source nature of the protocol makes this all possible, as it allows for constant updates to accommodate new developments.

You should note that OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) are only available in 57 server locations. However, these servers are spread out across the world, so you’ll still have global connections.

The different protocols offer unique combinations of speed, encryption, stability, and device compatibility, so having various options makes your torrenting, streaming, and browsing experience more enjoyable.

Secure your devices with Ivacy VPN

Privacy — Zero Traffic Logs and Safe International HQ Location

Ivacy VPN offers a legitimate no-log VPN service, as stipulated in its privacy policy — it doesn’t monitor or keep track of your connection or traffic. Ivacy VPN only collects its users’ names, email addresses, and payment details. However, these details can’t be linked back to any of your online activities in any way.

However, Ivacy VPN has yet to undergo an independent, third-party audit to check whether its no-log policy is genuine. I’d like to see Ivacy VPN voluntarily undergo an audit, as this would confirm that all connection data is totally secure and anonymous.

Solid Data Leak Protection Keeps Activity Secure and Anonymous

My tests revealed that Ivacy VPN easily secures my data as I found no leaks in IP, DNS, or WebRTC. After running multiple leak tests, I was satisfied that my data was kept within the encrypted tunnel and wasn’t exposed to trackers, hackers, or anyone spying on my connection.

Ivacy VPN’s DNS servers are in the same locations as the main servers, which is an advantage. Not only is your browsing data kept secure, but using a DNS and IP address from the same country gives you an additional layer of anonymity. In summary, Ivacy VPN has excellent protection for data and visited addresses.

Protect your data with Ivacy VPN

Based in Singapore — Privacy Haven, But Potential Ties to Eyes Alliance

The company’s headquarters is in Singapore, which is a convenient location for a VPN to be based in. Singapore is not a member of the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, or 14 Eyes alliances, so it’s not under any kind of surveillance jurisdiction.

However, you should be aware that Singapore is known to cooperate with the United States and the Five Eyes countries concerning intelligence gathering. Potentially, such information could contain sensitive data like your online activities. I contacted Ivacy VPN directly and received assurances that the information is merely an assumption and that there is no such policy.

Concerns About Secretive Company Ownership

While it’s public knowledge that Ivacy VPN is owned by PGM Private Limited (also the parent company of PureVPN), it refuses to divulge who directly owns or runs the company.

Ivacy VPN’s public relations manager outright said, “There is no ethical obligation to reveal who the people behind Ivacy are,” which is concerning. There doesn’t seem to be a reason why this information should be hidden, given that other top-tier VPNs are open about their ownership and operations.

This level of secrecy concerns me, as I expect a high level of transparency when I’m putting my online privacy in the hands of a VPN service.

Ivacy VPN has a solid customer support system with multiple options, including 24/7 live chat, email ticketing, and an online support center with FAQs, setup guides, and troubleshooting tips.

The 24/7 live chat is the best way to get in touch with customer service. It’s available to everyone, whether you have a subscription or not, and I connected to a support agent almost immediately. The agent was happy to answer multiple questions and gave detailed responses, ensuring I was satisfied before ending the chat. Some answers (like the response to my Singapore question) seemed to be copy-pasted, but it’s good that the support staff can provide thorough answers quickly.

Email ticketing is only available for subscribers, and I found it less useful than live chat. I sent several emails asking about server connections and company jurisdiction and found that responses were lacking in detail and sometimes poorly written. Email responses also took a long time — several hours during the week, and an email sent on Friday afternoon GMT didn’t get a response until midday Monday.

I also looked at Ivacy VPN’s Support Center, which has articles, FAQs, and setup guides to help you with the VPN. While many were useful and informative, I noticed that most of the support site content hadn’t been updated in 2 years or more. While some information doesn’t require updating, it’s important to keep topics like setup guides up-to-date, as there are frequent updates and changes to the VPN software.

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