NordVPN vs IPVanish

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Comparison 2020

NordVPN vs IPVanish are both high-quality VPN services that work on just about every device. This comparison will help you choose which virtual private network is best for you based on features and prices. Previously I reviewed NordVPN separately in a breakdown of ease-of-use, apps, and some real-world testing.

A virtual private network (VPN) is an app downloaded to a computer, router, smartphone, tablet, or smart TV to encrypt the activity and data on the device. When activated, a VPN encrypts your data and protects emails, photos, and messages sent from your device. Reputable VPNs can also block ad trackers and can be used to block third-party cookies. They can also block pop-up advertisements and end other annoying pop-ups.

VPNs are not just for corporate employees accessing company email and files. Many social media apps and shopping apps track your location, online shopping habits, and contacts. Google tracks everything you do and saves it to a timeline. A VPN is also useful for banking and shopping securely from your smartphone to protect your payment information. They are especially useful when you are using your phone, tablet, or laptop on public WiFi connections like those found in coffee shops, airports, hotels, and your workplace. Information sent from your device – messages and what website content you’re viewing can be snooped by your employer if you are using your work internet connection.

NordVPN vs IPVanish Highlights

Both VPNs are for use by home, office, and enterprise customers. NordVPN works on Linux, Windows, and macOS computers. It has apps for Windows and Android mobile devices. The iOS app works on iPhones and iPads. NordVPN works with both Chrome and Firefox web browsers as well as Android TV.

Note: When I originally reviewed NordVPN I was given a 30-day free trial by Nord to work with. I am a paying IPVanish customer and have been for two years. Regardless, if you buy either VPN from this website, I do receive a small commission that helps cover the cost of running the site. I used both when traveling to provide a fair NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review.

NordVPN vs IPVanish Installation

We installed NordVPN on two Windows machines – one running Windows 10 and the other was running Windows 7 at the time. By the way, if you are still using Windows 7 you really should upgrade to a new laptop and operating system. There are no more security upgrades coming from Windows and this leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers!

If you are still using Windows 7 or Windows 8, IPVanish has apps for both operating systems and it’s a good idea to protect your laptop or computer and its older operating system. The NordVPN installer added a desktop shortcut without asking permission during the installation process and CyberSec was turned on automatically for two separate Windows installations. NordVPN added itself to the startup process and turned on notifications as well.

IPVanish was installed on the Windows 10 laptop. It was a seamless and easy to understand installation process. There were no annoying pop-ups (Something a VPNs supposed to block!) IPVanish was also much easier to understand and use right from the start. It has a Quick Connect button that lets you reconnect to the last server you used with one click.

Number of Connections

NordVPN allows you to connect up to six devices. IPVanish allows you to connect up to ten devices simultaneously. Users can mix Android, iOS, Windows, Linux mobile devices, TVs, and laptops on one account.

Both VPNs have a quick kill switch. Some firewalls can detect the OpenVPN technology that both of these VPNs use and terminate them. The kill switch isolates the connected device from the internet automatically if the VPN is cut off.

Best VPN Server Selection

NordVPN currently has 5532 servers located in 58 countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, South America, in the Middle East, Africa, APAC region, and across Europe. This makes NordVPN the better choice for hardcore business travelers and those concerned with censorship and content blocking.

IPvanish has far fewer servers, over 1300 servers in 75 locations including the USA, Canada, Australia, South America, in the Middle East, Africa, APAC region, and Europe. Which is more than enough for the average user. However, IPVanish also allows you to choose a server in some cities, depending on the country you are routing traffic through.

Best VPN for China

Neither VPN service claims to work in Mainland China. However, I started using IPVanish because I had to travel to Taiwan in 2018 and was concerned about my connectivity back to the United States. IPVanish was recommended to me by someone who travels to Mainland China often an told me IPVanish is the best VPN for China. It worked well for me. I recommended IPVanish to another friend who traveled to Mainland China and he was able to use I successfully for email and messaging apps. However, the IPVanish website reports some issues with connectivity in China.

RELATED READ: Is IPVanish Free?

VPN Mobile Apps

The NordVPN mobile app has a convenient feature that when the mobile app is running on your phone, you will see the NordVPN logo appear in your phone’s status bar. You will also be able to see it in your pull-down menu along with data usage and total connection time. This is useful if you want to monitor and control how much background data your phone is using. There is a mobile app available for Android devices and iPhones.

The NordVPN Android app downloadable from the Google Play store does not block Google Ads. This is a Google policy so no fault on Nord for that one. There is a mobile app available for iPhones and Windows phones.

To circumvent the Google Play Store policy about ad blocking, I downloaded the Android .APK file from the NordVPN website. When you install any app outside of an official app store like Google Play, you have to override a security setting to stop the Android OS from blocking the app phone. While I did this with my Samsung phone because I know NordVPN is a reputable company, this is not an advisable procedure for apps and can result in your phone getting hacked with a download from an untrusted website.

The IPVanish mobile app is not available from the website and must be downloaded from Google Play. There is a mobile app available for Android devices, Apple phones, and Windows phones.

VPN Ad Blocking

NordVPN offers a feature called CyberSec which blocks pop-ups windows including advertisements and email sign-up forms. It also stops videos from auto-playing. All of these are great features when you are trying to read a news website and a video auto-plays in the corner after you have already scrolled down the page. CyberSec can cause some websites to not function properly.

IPVanish worked great for stopping all of the pop-ups that weather.com known for. Although the some ads still showed in the side bar and the videos on the side auto-played, there were no pop-up windows and other annoying suggested content that slowed down my path to finding my weather forecast.

Ad blocking and pop-up blockers are already a feature available for free in the latest version of Mozilla’s Firefox web browser. Browser and VPN pop-up blockers do cause some websites not work and I find myself shutting off add tracking and pop-ups. For example, PayPal automatic login does not work correctly when I have all of Firefox’s security features enabled.

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN for Netflix

The NordVPN website offers instructions on how to connect to Netflix their product. Basically, you need to connect to a server in the same country as the Netflix service you want to watch. For example, if you want to watch Canadian Netflix, you should connect to a Canadian server. Likewise, to watch United Kingdom Netflix, connect to a UK server. The exception is USA Netflix. For Netflix US, connect to any server except those in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Australia, and Italy.

If you are having issues watching Netflix on a VPN, follow the instructions on the NordVPN website

IPVanish has a setting that enables obfuscation capability. Go to Settings. Choose General then tick the box next to Scramble OpenVPN traffic. This will enable IPVanish users to bypass traffic sensors that detect VPN usage.

IPVanish offers unlimited data without throttling and supports streaming video as well as voice and video calls.

RELATED READ: Will My VPN Work in Canada?

Customer Support

IPVanish website states it offers 24/7 customer support, but it is not clear which methods of contacting support are always available. There is live chat and email support listed in the customer support page, but the hours of operation for live chat are not explicitly stated. Call center hours are Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm CT (UTC -6)

NordVPN offers customer support at all times via live chat.

NordVPN vs IPVanish Prices

NordVPN offers several payment options. The longer the subscription the higher the discount. Currently, a three-year plan costs $3.49 USD monthly. If you buy for only one month, it costs $11.95 per month. There are also two-year and one-year plans available. See all Nord subscription plans – click here

Nord VPN Subscription Term:

• 3-Year Plan: $3.49 per month
• 2-Year Plan: $4.99 per month
• 1-Year Plan: $6.99 per month
• Monthly: $11.95 per month

IPVanish VPN Subscription Term:

IPVanish costs $3.99 per month for one-year subscriptions and $8.99 per month if you pay quarterly. One-month is cheaper than Nord at $10 for the month. I pay quarterly but really need to change to annual for the best pricing. Click here to see all subscription prices for IPVanish VPN.

• 1-Year Plan: $3.99 per month
• 3-Months: $8.99 per month
• Monthly: $10.00 per month

Payment Methods Accepted

NordVPN does not accept PayPal as a payment method. When I reviewed NordVPN, I was using a 30-day free trial given to me by the company. The service does accept Alipay, major credit cards, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies.

IPVanish does accept PayPal, major credit cards, and also accepts Visa Electron. I am an IPVanish paying customer and have been since February 2018. I started using IPVanish because I had to travel to Taiwan and was concerned about my connectivity to the United States. I pay quarterly with my American Express card.