IVPN

What Is IVPN?

If you want a VPN primarily to reduce tracking, hide your real IP from the sites you visit, and avoid turning your internet provider into a default data broker, IVPN is built for that job. The core service gives you encrypted tunnels (so your local network and ISP can’t trivially see what you’re doing) and a choice of VPN protocols that cover most real-world needs, from “works almost everywhere” to “fast and modern.”

It’s a strong fit for privacy-first users who care about how the software is built and verified, not just a big server count. IVPN has made its apps open source (with public repositories) and has commissioned third‑party audits over time, including an independent no‑logging assessment.

One thing that stands out: IVPN has been willing to remove features when they believe the platform can’t deliver them safely (for example, changes to iOS kill switch behavior), and they publish detailed engineering-oriented posts rather than vague assurances.

IVPN Features and Performance

IVPN supports the major modern VPN protocols you’d expect: OpenVPN and WireGuard, plus IPsec/IKEv2 (per your verified specs). For most people, WireGuard is the default pick for speed and snappy reconnections; OpenVPN remains the compatibility workhorse when you need to blend into common TLS traffic or connect in restrictive networks.

On top of basic “pick a country and connect,” IVPN has historically offered multi-hop routing (traffic enters through one server and exits through another). Multi-hop is a real privacy feature: it reduces the value of any single vantage point seeing both who you are and where you’re going. The trade-off is performance—more hops typically means more latency and less throughput.

Device limits are not a footnote with IVPN; they’re part of how the product is enforced. IVPN documents limits in terms of devices/logins rather than a simple “simultaneous connections” counter, and it explicitly suggests a VPN router setup if you want many devices to share one tunnel (with the usual “this takes expertise” caveat). (Your database lists 7 simultaneous connections; treat that as the number to publish in a comparison table, but know IVPN’s own explanation is more nuanced.)

IVPN also positions itself as more than “just a VPN” via add-on privacy services bundled into higher tiers. Its “services overview” describes Mailx (email aliasing/forwarding), modDNS, and Portmaster Pro access for qualifying plans, and it describes an “Unlinked Access” approach designed to avoid propagating your IVPN account identifier into those separate services.

Network-wise, your verified inventory for IVPN is 89 servers across 41 countries. That’s smaller than the mass-market VPN giants, but it’s not inherently a problem if the locations you actually need are covered and performance is consistent. Smaller networks can be easier to understand and maintain—what matters is transparency, protocol choice, and whether congestion shows up in peak hours.

Pricing and Plans

IVPN is paid-only (no permanent free tier). The current structure (per IVPN’s own plan-change announcement and services overview) is three tiers with simple, non-introductory pricing:

• Standard: $60/year (also shown as $6/month)
• Plus: $80/year (also shown as $8/month)
• Pro Suite: $100/year (also shown as $10/month)

IVPN publishes a clear refund policy: you can request a full refund within 30 days of payment, and it’s available once per account and per customer.

If you’re comparing value, the key question isn’t “is it cheap,” it’s “do you want the extra privacy services and the account-linking model they describe.” If you only want a VPN tunnel and nothing else, Standard is the relevant baseline. If you want the additional stack (Mailx/modDNS/Portmaster Pro access), you’re looking at Plus or Pro Suite.

Privacy and Security Assessment

Jurisdiction: Your verified spec lists Gibraltar as the jurisdiction. That’s not the same as being based in the US or UK, and it’s one of the reasons privacy-focused users put IVPN in the “worth a look” category. IVPN has also publicly discussed company naming/registration in Gibraltar.

No-logs claims and verification: IVPN has a public post stating its no-logging claim was verified by an independent audit (Cure53), and IVPN’s help center explicitly links its no-logs position to third-party verification. Independent review sources also reference this 2019 Cure53 no-logs assessment.

Important nuance (and IVPN itself says this, too): audits are snapshots in time. A no-logs audit is evidence, not a permanent guarantee. IVPN continues to commission annual security audits (separate from the one-time no-logs audit), and it has publicly discussed scheduling future audits and what changed since prior audits (including “Unlinked Access”).

Open-source posture: IVPN has publicly announced making its applications open source and maintains official repositories under the IVPN GitHub organization, including a desktop app repo. That doesn’t automatically mean “more secure,” but it makes verification and community scrutiny possible in a way closed apps don’t.

Platform honesty (iOS kill switch): IVPN published a post explaining it removed the kill switch from its iOS app due to an Apple IP leak issue, explicitly stating the feature was being removed in a future release. This is both a limitation (iOS users lose a safety net) and a credibility signal (they didn’t pretend it was working if they believed it wasn’t).

Streaming stance: IVPN’s own help documentation is blunt about streaming platforms (Hulu/Netflix/BBC iPlayer): access may not work, and the help page offers a workaround using split tunneling on Windows to route the browser outside the VPN for streaming. Translation: IVPN is not positioning itself as a “streaming VPN,” and if streaming is your top priority, you should expect friction.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths

• Open-source apps with public code repositories and a long-standing FOSS posture.
• Independent no-logs audit on record (Cure53), plus ongoing security audit work.
• Multi-hop capability for users who want a privacy upgrade beyond single-hop VPN.
• Clear, simple pricing and a written 30-day refund policy (with stated limits).

Limitations

• Smaller network footprint (your verified 89 servers / 41 countries) than the biggest competitors.
• Multi-hop can reduce speed/raise latency; it’s a trade-off, not free privacy.
• iOS kill switch limitations: IVPN removed its iOS kill switch due to Apple-related leak concerns.
• Streaming is explicitly not guaranteed; documentation points to workarounds, not “works with Netflix.”

Who Should Use IVPN?

Good fit

1. Privacy-focused users who want open-source clients and third-party verification history (audits), not just marketing claims.
2. People who actually use multi-hop for threat-model reasons (journalists, activists, high-risk researchers) and accept the performance hit.
3. Users who like a “privacy stack” approach (VPN plus additional privacy services) and care about minimizing cross-service account linking as described by IVPN.

Not a great fit

1. Anyone buying a VPN mainly for Netflix/Hulu/BBC iPlayer unblocking—IVPN’s own docs don’t promise that experience.
2. Users who require a robust, app-level iOS kill switch story; IVPN has documented iOS limitations and removed the feature in response to Apple issues.
3. People who want the biggest possible location list and constant “new servers every month” expansion—IVPN’s network is more modest by design (verified: 89 servers / 41 countries).