ExpressVPN VS IPVanish: crucial differences in 2026

IPVanish and ExpressVPN offer excellent security features, solid privacy, and fast speed, they also have certain quirks. Our testing and analysis of both VPNs allowed us to weigh the advantages of one against the other. So, we will take a closer look at their servers, connectivity, safety, streaming, torrenting, ease of use, price, and customer support. We will help you choose the right VPN that caters to your needs.

This guide on ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish compares both virtual private networks. Hopefully, it will help you decide which VPN is better for you.

ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish: which VPN is the winner?

Let's find out to see which best VPN is more secure, faster, and overall better in major categories:

• In terms of speed, IPVanish is the winner due to WireGuard tunneling protocol.
• Both VPNs are secure and have independently audited no-logs policies. Nevertheless, ExpressVPN offers more safety features.
• IPVanish has better customer support as it lets its customers from the US, UK, Australia, and other regions call on the phone line and get their queries resolved.
• The streaming capability of ExpressVPN is better than IPVanish.
• IPVanish provides cheaper subscriptions.
• IPVanish offers unlimited simultaneous connections, while ExpressVPN offers only 5 connections.

ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish: general comparison

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Rating	4.1	3.4
Overall rank	#7 out of #26	#4 out of #26
Servers	3,000+ servers in 105 countries	3,200+ servers in 113 countries
No logs policy	No logs	No logs
Pricing	From $2.49/month	From $2.19/month
Coupons	ExpressVPN coupon 80% OFF	IPVanish coupon 83% OFF
VPN protocols	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec
Streaming services	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, Hulu, and more
Platforms	All major OS, Android TV, Fire TV & Fire Stick, Kindle Fire, Chromebook, Router applet, Kodi, Roku, browsers	All major OS, Android TV, Amazon Fire, ChromeOS, Router
Simultaneous connections	14	Unlimited
Support	24/7 live chat, FAQs, Knowledge base, email	24/7 live chat, FAQs, Knowledge base, email

Both VPNs are fairly good in terms of compatibility and torrenting. ExpressVPN VPN offers slightly better security and privacy features. However, it's more expensive, and offers fewer connections. IPVanish on the other hand is quite affordable and it's a great option for torrenting. Plus, it offers more simultaneous connection, which is a massive benefit. Therefore, IPVanish is a better VPN choice.

Servers and performance

To put it plainly, ExpressVPN has more and better servers than IPVanish. Performance-wise, both providers offer reliable connectivity globally. Nevertheless, ExpressVPN has better speeds when it utilizes the proprietary Lightway tunneling protocol. But the speeds might be inconsistent. On the other hand, IPVanish has super-fast WireGuard tunneling protocol, which is stable and secure.

Server specifications

Features	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Protocols (VPN)	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec
DNS	Yes	Yes
Encryption	AES-256	AES-256

ExpressVPN has a larger server fleet than IPVanish. The former has thousands of servers in 105+ countries. All of them are RAM-only, which adds an extra layer of anonymity. As for IPVanish, it has 3,200+ servers in 113+ countries, which is a pretty decent fleet. More so, the provider owns all servers, which is a huge plus.

Download speed

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
United States	306 Mbps	306 Mbp 326 Mbps
United Kingdom	363 Mbps/ 369 Mbps	284 Mbps
Germany	371 Mbps	457 Mbps
Canada	310 Mbps	301 Mbps
Japan	258 Mbps	240 Mbps

Compared to ExpressVPN, IPVanish keeps more of the baseline speeds. It retains 72% of download speeds than its competitor, which is 69%. That is mainly due to the extremely fast WireGuard tunneling protocol.

So, if you want a VPN with good downloading speeds, IPVanish is a better option.

Upload speed

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
United States	357 Mbps	372 Mbps
United Kingdom	324 Mbps	369 Mbps
Germany	388 Mbps	466 Mbps
Canada	292 Mbps	331 Mbps
Japan	199 Mbps	274 Mbps

Moving on, the upload speeds of IPVanish are better compared to the opponent. While ExpressVPN’s percentage was the same as that of download speeds, IPVanish retained 71% of the baseline speeds.

VPN plans and pricing

Plan	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Monthly	$12.99	$12.99
Six months	$9.99/ month	N/A
One year	$3.99/month	$3.33/month
Two years	$2.19/month	$2.19/month
Three years	N/A	N/A

Like many VPNs, IPVanish and ExpressVPN also offer flexible plans for users who want to reap the benefits of a VPN for an extended period without breaking the bank. While there is a little difference between the monthly pricing of both VPNs.

When it comes to long-term plans, IPVanish is pretty affordable. It offers a yearly plan at $2.19/month. Whereas ExpressVPN costs $3.99/month. While it is more expensive, you get more extras and features with ExpressVPN.

Furthermore, you can use different payment methods, such as PayPal or credit card, to pay for both VPNs. However, ExpressVPN has the upper hand, as it offers anonymous crypto payments. This method boosts your confidentiality online, as no one can track crypto payments. Sadly, IPVanish lacks this benefit.

Overall, IPVanish is the winner since it is more affordable than ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish: security and privacy

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Encryption	AES 256	AES-256
Hash	SHA-512	SHA-512
Jurisdiction	British Virgin Islands	United States
Member of the Five Eyes Alliance	No	Yes
Logging	Court-proven and independently-audited	Independently-audited no-logs policy
RAM-only servers	Yes	Yes
Leak protection	DNS, IPv6, WebRTC	DNS, IPv6, WebRTC
Kill switch	Yes	Yes

Both VPNs share similar security features. It's undeniable to break encryption since both have military-grade AES-256 encryption. Further, for authentication, both VPNs use the SHA-512 hash function.

For more privacy, both VPNs offer traffic obfuscation. With this feature, you can use VPN without letting anyone know about it.

Furthermore, IPVanish and ExpressVPN support perfect forward secrecy, which ensures that hackers can’t access your past data because part of the encryption keys is continuously changing.

Privacy

IPVanish is a United States-based VPN service. Being a member of the Five Eyes alliance, the USA has a bad reputation and is a red flag regarding privacy. Your personal data does not remain confidential since the US government can spy and access your data. Nevertheless, IPVanish ensures that no data is collected or forwarded to any surveillance agencies.

On the other hand, the Virgin British Islands-based ExpressVPN has almost no privacy issues. The privacy-friendly location of ExpressVPN has no data retention laws. So, it is more reliable than IPVanish. Moreover, the RAM-only servers wipe out your browsing history after you are done with your sessions.

Logging

Leviathan Security Group and PwC have independently audited IPVanish and ExpressVPN. Both VPN providers have zero-logs policies. More so, ExpressVPN has RAM-only servers, while IPVanish owns all of its hardware.

Sadly, both providers have some spots on their reputations. ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies, which is pretty notorious in the VPN industry. The company was involved in data collection and malware injection drama in the past.

On the other hand, IPVanish was involved in a privacy scandal of handing over criminal data to the FBI. Which raises quite a few red flags for privacy-focused users.

VPN streaming performance

Streaming platforms	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Netflix	✅	✅
Amazon Prime Video	✅	✅
Hulu	✅	✅
Disney+	✅	✅
HBO Max	✅	✅
YouTube	✅	✅
BBC iPlayer	✅	✅

Many people use VPNs to unblock geo-restricted content for streaming their favorite shows. ExpressVPN is strongly recommended by many users worldwide. The story is a tad different with IPVanish.

While using IPVanish, you can unlock some popular platforms, such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+. However, if you want to unblock Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube TV, and a plethora of other services, consider ExpressVPN instead.

And that is not all. ExpressVPN also offers MediaStreamer. This feature is excellent for devices that don't support VPNs natively. It lets you bypass geo-restrictions on smart TVs, consoles, and various streaming devices.

It's clear that ExpressVPN is a winner since it can unblock more streaming sites than IPVanish.

Torrenting

Torrenting Features	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
No-logs	✅	✅
Split tunneling	✅	✅
Obfuscation	✅	✅
Port forwarding	✅	❌
SOCKS5 proxy	❌	✅
Safe Jurisdiction	✅	❌

If you are looking for a VPN which is great for torrenting, both IPVanish and ExpressVPN are secure and P2P-compatible choices.

Both providers allow torrenting on all servers. But, as we noticed before, ExpressVPN has better speeds and more pieces of hardware globally, which is a huge plus. Not to mention, this provider offers obfuscated servers that are great for hiding your VPN traffic and bypassing firewalls. Unlike many other providers, ExpressVPN has port forwarding, which is great for boosting your download speeds.

When it comes to IPVanish, it has some advantages too. The SOCKS5 proxy can boost your download speeds, but it won't encrypt your data. Not to mention, you can use traffic obfuscation to hide the fact that you are using a VPN. And while it's not as fast as ExpressVPN, the download speeds should be satisfying enough.

Both providers have their benefits, so the ExpressVPN vs. IPVanish torrenting battle is a draw.

VPN interface and setup

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Supported OS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Other software and devices	Android TV, Fire devices, routers	Android TV, Fire devices, routers
Usability level	Easy to use	Easy to use
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera	N/A
Simultaneous connections	14	Unlimited

Using both VPNs through apps is pretty easy. They have apps compatible with almost all popular operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and iOS.

As for ease of use, the apps of IPVanish and ExpressVPN have simple and clear interfaces. However, IPVanish apps are modern and get an edge over the opponent.

ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Brave, and Edge, while IPVanish lacks them. Nevertheless, with unlimited connections, you can set up IPVanish on as many devices as you need. On the flip side, ExpressVPN has only 14 connections, but you can easily install it on your router.

To wrap up, we have to give this round to IPVanish. Both VPNs offer excellent compatibility. However, IPVanish offers better apps and more simultaneous connections.

Desktop apps review

Linux users can use the terminal to use both ExpressVPN and IPVanish. You must use the command line to get started.

However, IPVanish shines with its modern desktop apps. It has an easy-to-use map where everything is well-organized. You can easily navigate the settings tab and other information in the same window.

The desktop app of ExpressVPN is pretty minimalistic. It does not display the map on its screen rather it shows a large ON button in the center which takes most of its screen space. Moreover, it shows a hamburger menu that allows you to tweak the feature from settings and other options.

Mobile apps review

There’s no remarkable difference between the desktop and mobile apps of ExpressVPN. While using its mobile apps, you will enjoy privacy and security. However, its mobile apps have fewer features on iOS and Android apps than the desktop ones. Still, its Android version has more features than the iOS app.

On the other hand, the mobile apps of IPVanish are not similar to their desktop version. It's more compact and fits well on a mobile screen. Also, its Android app has more features, such as obfuscation toggle and split tunneling; therefore, it is superior to its iOS counterpart.

Customer support quality

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Email	✅	✅
24/7 live chat	✅	✅
Phone line	❌	✅
FAQs	✅	✅
Guides or articles	✅	✅

What’s better than getting all feasible options to contact customer support if you have any queries regarding VPN? Both VPNs offer many customer service options.

If you are more comfortable with emails, you can reach out to the customer support team of both VPNs on Emails. Moreover, they are also available on live chat 24/7 for fast response.

In addition, if you prefer to explore on your own, both VPN providers have extensive knowledge centers and FAQs. Besides, IPVanish allows citizens of the US, UK, Mexico, Australia, Spain, and Brazil to call any time as it offers a phone line option for them, while ExpressVPN does not entertain this option.

IPVanish is the winner in the customer support category when pitted against ExpressVPN.

Wrapping up – which VPN wins?

All in all, both providers offer compelling features. Nevertheless, IPVanish outshines ExpressVPN and wins the comparison.

ExpressVPN is more secure and private than its opponent. However, if you want something cheaper and feel like you may need more customer support, choose IPVanish. It also offers better speeds, and excellent torrenting capabilities.

Both services have their advantages and quirks. Hopefully, now you can make an informed decision and pick a VPN that fits your needs the best.

	ExpressVPN	IPVanish
Speed	❌	✅
Features	✅	❌
Protection	✅	✅
Streaming	✅	❌
Torrenting	✅	✅
Price	❌	✅
Servers	❌	❌
Ease of use	❌	✅
Customer support	❌	✅
Total Wins	4 out of 9	6 out of 9

FAQs