ExpressVPN vs IPVanish

ExpressVPNs immediate pitch is that they're the #1 trusted leader in VPNs. It is a bold claim that immediately places the spotlight on their security, privacy policy, and transparency with their users. ExpressVPN doesn't tout bold promises. Instead, they focus on highlighting their ultrafast servers, device coverage and ease of use.

Users from Reddit, Quora and other sites note ExpressVPN as one of the better, if not one of the best, VPNs. We're looking to put those claims to the test and see if this is genuinely a VPN you should trust.

IPVanish provides its users with peace of mind by focusing on online safety. This focus leads them to provide a plethora of functionality while continuously pushing the boundaries of what it means to be anonymous online. IPVanish's marketing material highlights their VPNs speed, exclaiming that they're the world's fastest VPN.

Despite the confidence in their service, Reddit users often talk negatively about IPVanish's service and customer support. We're looking to put their speed to the test and see if it lives up to their claims.

While speed certainly isn't the priority of a VPN service, it can be a crucial make or break factor when considering which VPN suits your needs. Failing to load basic web pages quickly becomes a nuisance. So, how did these two VPNs perform?

Express VPN

We ran a basic speed test before connecting to ExpressVPN, then we connected to a few from different countries in the world. The goal here was to test how drastic the drop off in speed became once we left our immediate location.

Here are the results from our default location in the UK:

Here are the results from various other locations around the globe:

While we couldn't test all servers, we were surprised that there was almost no noticeable drop-off in our download speeds. Our ping rose significantly as we ventured further away from our current location; however, this would be barely noticeable unless you were gaming.

IPVanish

We had mixed results when connecting to other countries with IPVanish. While we hardly noticed a difference when connecting to neighbouring countries, we immediately felt a drop in speeds as we ventured further out. This became apparent as we attempted to connect to the US from the UK; our download speeds cut just slightly over half.

A cut like this might not be drastic, depending on your current internet speeds. However, those below 100mbps without connecting will feel the change immediately. A change like this also makes it difficult to stream or watch content through the VPN.

Other users have noted their displeasure with IPVanish’s servers and their ability to hold fast speeds. Here’s another example:

Which service is faster?

We have to go with ExpressVPN here, and, even when looking past our results, it was difficult to find any mention of how great IPVanish’s speeds were, which gives us more agency to say that ExpressVPN takes the lead.

Our ping was consistently high with both services when connecting outside of our native region, which will strongly impact your ability to multiplayer games while connected. A small note, but one that should be considered, especially if you're a gamer.

Privacy should be at the top of our lists when looking into a VPN service. Without privacy, a VPN doesn't solve the core reason for using one to hide our activity from others online. When evaluating privacy, we're really looking at two things:

1. Where is the provider located?
2. Is there a no-logs policy in place?

The answer to these questions will often give us the answer as to whether your privacy is top of mind or not. How do our providers fair?

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is based in the Virgin Islands, meaning that there is no jurisdiction to dictate what information can be claimed by the government. ExpressVPN also employs a strict no-logs policy, taking only the bare minimum information needed to provide you with their service, and no more.

Interestingly enough, the Turkish government seized one of ExpressVPNs servers in 2017 but couldn't get any information as the provider kept none. Thus, further supporting their policy claims.

IPVanish

IPVanish operates a strict no-logs policy, but they are unfortunately located within the US. Being US-bound means they fall under the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 eyes alliance, meaning the government can demand the provider to hand over logs on individuals should they deem it necessary.

A no-logs policy should prevent any information being handed over, but it's still worth keeping in mind.

Which value your privacy more?

It might seem obvious to choose ExpressVPN here due to their location; however, if both providers uphold their no-log policy, there isn't a differentiating factor to select either solely based on their levels of privacy.

Both VPN providers are employing best practices here that keep your internet usage completely private.

Security is an area where different VPN providers can set themselves apart from the competition. Whether they achieve this through unique security protocols, features or server support, the bottom line is how does this affect the user, and how can they benefit?

Let's analyse what features are present and how they can provide heightened security.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has multiple security features that we've come to expect, including some that are unique to their offering. Their 'lightway' security protocol uniquely provides a blend between performance and security.

Like most VPNs, they use AES 256-Bit encryption, providing an uncrackable connection. Similarly, users can benefit from a built-in kill switch, Split Tunnelling, Private DNS servers and the knowledge that their servers are RAM-based, meaning data isn't saved directly to a hard drive.

One user confirms that while their app settings may be sparse, they haven’t had any leaks after running multiple tests.

IPVanish

IPVanish also employs AES 256-Bit encryption to keep your data secure and uncrackable. You can expect to see the usual features available here, including a killswitch, DNS leak prevention, Shared IP addresses and more. IPVanish has some mobile limitations, including the loss of their killswitch on mobile devices, which can impact security if you plan to use it on the go.

While they don't use a unique security protocol, they give users access to OpenVPN, the most secure protocol to date.

Where is your information safest?

We found it challenging to place one provider ahead of the other here because they share the same core security functionality. While ExpressVPN offers a unique security protocol, there is no guarantee that this protocol will be better for you than OpenVPN, which we've learned is one of the best protocols there is.

Our view changed once we learned that IPVanish doesn't have what ExpressVPN labels as their 'TrustedServer Technology'. In short, their ability to run RAM only servers gives you additional security far beyond what IPVanish can provide. Meaning ExpressVPN is the go-to for security as a result.

While we can't always qualify each server, we can look at what number of servers is provided, including the range these servers cover. For users in more well-known locations, it's unlikely that you'll struggle to find a quality server near you. However, if you live in remote regions, server density and global coverage can drastically hinder your ability to find a great experience.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is currently one of the leading providers for global coverage, offering users over 160 server locations in 94 different countries with a total of 3000+ servers. ExpressVPN also has an extensive server list available on their website, where you can check what servers are currently active and what security protocol is compatible.

While checking through their actual app is more accessible, this option is great for users in those remote locations that need to check availability beforehand.

IPVanish

IPVanish offers over 1900 servers in 75+ regions, enough coverage for most users. Unfortunately, they don't have a detailed server list on their website, meaning many users could be left in the dark where the nearest server would be to them.

Which provider has you covered?

No doubt ExpressVPN is in the lead here. It would be difficult for any provider to stack up to the global coverage that ExpressVPN is currently offering. To reiterate, global coverage doesn't correlate to server quality. You may find some of these servers aren't providing the service you had hoped for.

If you are unsure whether your location is covered well, you can contact both of these providers' support teams to gain more information.

We may hope that we never have to contact support for a problem, but we hope that our issue is resolved quickly. Experience with customer support can often make or break our perception of a particular provider. A poor experience makes us feel like we aren't important and that a competitor might appreciate us more.

You can find a wide range of support on many of Reddit's VPN forums, yet, if you had to contact the provider's support team, which would offer you a better experience?

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN arguably has one of the better reputations on forums. Some of this notion comes down to their support teams' quick and helpful responses.

As one user explains, they had a problem with their Windows ten machine that was quickly resolved with the help of ExpressVPNs fantastic support. This support also included a no questions asked refund offer.

IPVanish

In a clear juxtaposition to ExpressVPN, IPVanish's support team has a bad reputation among the various forums we've searched through. A prominent attribute to this is their supposed '24/7' support that is rarely met with an immediate response, often leading you to believe that 24/7 support is a farce.

One user explained just that here when they tried to contact IPVanish's support. Their attempts included leaving multiple support tickets only to receive automated responses.

Which provider has the best support?

One prominent issue with evaluating a provider's support is the subjective nature of submitting a support request. Requests largely depend on when you submit them, how much information you include and so on. We didn't have any issues when contacting both providers' support teams, with both helpful and courteous, even if they were following a script.

However, if going on perception and user experience, IPVanish certainly falls behind. We struggle to put either ahead. Instead, we give a cautious bit of advice that the perception around IPVanish' support must be warranted if so many users on Reddit and Quora are speaking up about their dissatisfaction.