We put these VPNs to the test to find out which is the best!
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
The above chart shows that there’s very little that separates these two VPNs. Even so, one notable which you should always consider before buying any of these services is the pricing model. Private Internet Access has 2 VPN packages: a one-month subscription plan and another one for one year. On the other hand, IPVanish has 3 VPN payment options. There’s one for one month, another for three months and the last one is a yearly plan.
Private Internet Access performed admirably well when we did our speed tests. However, IPVanish was simply faster when put to the same tasks. It was faster when it came to browsing, streaming content, and in torrenting.
| VPN vendor |
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| Download speed reduction | 37% (UK) | 35% (UK) |
| Upload speed reduction | 30% (FRA) | 39% (FRA) |
| Ping time to google.com | 363.25ms | 35ms |
| Average time to connect (sec.) | 10ms | 10ms |
| Unblock successful for |
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| Visit Site | Visit Site |
Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.
IPVanish has 1000+ servers spread out over 60 countries while PIA has over 3,500 servers in 33 countries. What this means for you is that the PIA servers are less likely to become overburdened by users in a specific country since there are more options than IPVanish. On the other hand, if you need a VPN in Estonia then IPVanish is the way to go.
One feature we really liked with IPVanish is the Server rotation feature which automatically switches your IP address at specific intervals for additional safety.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Server Locations | 1000 | 35000 |
| Server Countries | 55 | 90 |
| IP Addresses | 40,000 | 3,236+ |
| Dynamic Server Switching | ||
| Visit Site | Visit Site |
The ratio of servers to countries is an important factor to look at when choosing a VPN. Only paying attention to location or number of servers can get you in trouble. More servers generally means faster speeds, but if VPN X has a few more servers than VPN Y but twice as many users, VPN X will typically have slower speeds. Ideally, you want a VPN that has a lot of servers in every location. This way you won’t have to worry that server/country that you want will be overburdened and running slow.
We always prefer a VPN with 24-hour live chat help, and between these two, you can only get that with IPVanish.
Both PIA and IPVanish have an extensive knowledgebase/FAQ and a ticket system for responding to emails in a timely manner.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Email Response Time | 0.2 | 24 |
| 24/7 Support | ||
| Live Chat | ||
| Knowledge Base | ||
| Video Tutorials | ||
| Visit Site | Visit Site |
We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.
I didn’t encounter any difficulties while downloading and installing this VPN. The software focuses on functionality without unnecessary extras. The provider takes pride in offering distinctive features and a wide range of servers to choose from. In fact, recently, they released their brand new 2.0 version software, packed with more features including a server map. However, we felt that they excel greatly when it came to their robust security protocols.
Here, we looked at criteria such as their logging payments, encryption strengths, and additional privacy features. We found things such as:
Downloading and installing this VPN was also pretty easy and the UI makes it easy to connect to the server of your choice. PIA includes a kill-switch to protect your online anonymity in case your VPN connection fails, and IPv6 leak protection.
If you are in China you will need to use the L2TP protocol in order to bypass the Great Firewall of China. Connecting to Netflix is not very consistent, but if you get lucky you can stream shows the are only available in the US.
Some of their privacy highlights include:
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