We put these VPNs to the test to find out which is the best!
At first glance, it may seem like IPVanish has the clear edge in nearly every important aspect, but this does not mean PureVPN is a slouch, it’s just that IPVanish is a little more refined. PureVPN’s handful of features may be more useful to certain users however, such as split tunneling, different modes for video streaming, and so on.
IPVanish and PureVPN’s speeds are nothing to get overly excited about but they aren’t bad either. PureVPN has decent speeds, but IPVanish is a little better. If you are planning on doing a lot of streaming, either one will work well, avoiding any annoying buffering, or causing large file downloads to lag too much.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Download speed reduction | 37% (UK) | 40% (UK) |
| Upload speed reduction | 30% (FRA) | 37% (FRA) |
| Ping time to google.com | 363.25ms | 41ms |
| Average time to connect (sec.) | 10ms | 11ms |
| 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.
PureVPN offers 750+ servers in over 140 countries, so you have numerous options when it comes to locations. IPVanish has servers in 60 countries, often with several different cities to choose from, so while the actual country amount is lower, you still have a solid amount of locations.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Server Locations | 1000 | 180 |
| Server Countries | 55 | 141 |
| IP Addresses | 40,000 | 750 |
| 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.
PureVPN is one of the best for customer support, offering a 24/7 chat, email responses, a large knowledge base, and plenty of tutorials. With that said, IPVanish is not far behind, offering all of these options, and often just as quick and helpful in resolving issues.
| VPN vendor |
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|---|---|---|
| Email Response Time | 0.2 | 7 |
| 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.
If you sign up before you download the software, the site determines which is the best option for the machine you are using. You can use up to 10 devices simultaneously (a very high amount,) so you can always go back and choose the correct application for other devices later.
IPVanish is designed with simplicity in mind, making it user-friendly even for those who are not technically savvy. The interface offers a limited number of settings to adjust, ensuring ease of use. One aspect we found appealing was the ability to select our preferred server. In case one server performed sluggishly, we could effortlessly switch to another without the need to disconnect from the VPN beforehand.
Sadly, at this time there are no servers that allow you to stream Hulu due to proxy settings within Hulu itself. However, when we tried Netflix, we found that we could access it from not just any US based server, but also from London and Glasgow servers in the UK. HBO and ESPN can be unblocked as well, and IPVanish works in China.
PureVPN app is easy enough to be used by novice VPN users and offers enough settings to appeal to a seasoned player. The basic interface is simple and you just have to select a server and click on Connect. The default protocol is automatic but you can pick another option from the list. There are some tabs that let users change the settings and customize the app according to their needs.
PureVPN has apps for all major platforms, and has browser extensions as well. There is a large selection of servers and special servers for online streaming, sports streaming, anonymous file sharing, and data retention security. Or you can just connect to the fastest server of a particular country.
PureVPN works on mobile devices, and is generally successful accessing Netflix and Hulu, and definitely works in China.
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