OVERVIEW
Ivacy is a Singapore-based VPN which, according to its website, has won awards for being one of the best. It offers thousands of servers in over 100 locations and countries. The Ivacy website says it has 5,700 servers but we aren’t too confident about these figures either.
What is Ivacy?
Ivacy is a VPN that offers protection at affordable VPN prices and boasts servers in far-flung corners of the world. It’s a strong offering on paper, but we experienced some hiccups when testing it out and want to see Ivacy release an audit by a third party company before recommending them to clients.
VPNs are not new in technology . There is a whole spectrum of options for creating a VPN connection. We prefer OpenVPN and WireGuard, both of which are open-source because they can be picked over for any potential vulnerabilities.
The Windows app supports OpenVPN (shown in the interface as TCP and UDP), as well as the older L2TP, and also has excellent IKEv2. The lack of WireGuard is excusable considering it’s still very new technology—at least for now.
Ivacy Features
Split Tunneling
Split tunneling is a nifty feature that lets you choose which apps will use the VPN server and which won’t. For example, if you need to unblock Netflix from another country but still want to play on your low latency gaming connection with no lag, split tunneling can make this possible for Windows and Android devices but it should be considered carefully due to its limitations.
Clicking on all of the programs rather than choosing one at a time means every app has to take up an extra click before it connects. There’s also no way to reconnect or auto-connect so sometimes even establishing a connection for your device proves difficult in Ivacy VPNs’ Android version too.
Secure Download
The Secure Download feature is pretty unique because it concentrates on the data that you’re downloading. It’s a real-time program and monitors for any potentially harmful software. It’s an interesting approach and can really save your device in certain situations if used properly!
Easy User Interface
It is very important to have a user-friendly interface so that people who are not well-versed with technology can also use the app. It is recommended that the app development company should follow a user-centred design approach to create an app that is easy to use for every type of user. The app should not be too flashy and should have a simple, clean look that can be appreciated by people of all ages. The app should also be secure and protected from viruses.
Ivacy VPN Servers
When comparing VPN companies, it’s useful to see where each offers VPN servers. Ivacy boasts servers in over 100 countries on their website, but I only counted 62 (out of 104) available on the company’s webpage or app alone-which is higher than average.
The bulk of Ivacy’s options are located in the US and UK region. However, it provides VPN servers across much wider regions that many other companies which do not provide access to South American countries like Brazil, African nations like Kenya, Nigeria, as well as Russia. Turkey, Vietnam, Hong Kong–regions are known for having repressive internet policies.
Privacy Security
VPNs have access to all the information that passes through them, so it’s important they protect your privacy and don’t monetize your data. When reviewing VPNs, we read through their company’s privacy policies and sent out a questionnaire to get a sense of what level of protection the company has in place. Ivacy’s privacy policy is cleanly put together with all necessary details. This deserves credit for sure.
In its policy, Ivacy guarantees that “we do not log or monitor online browsing activities or connection logs; VPN IP addresses assigned by us; original IP addresses from which you are connecting–not withstanding an occasional need to assign temporary public-static IP address due solely for troubleshooting purposes.” This sounds like exactly what you want from any type of business regarding personal information protection.
Ivacy acknowledges that they are the best VPN connections and also collects diagnostics. They could clarify what this includes to be more transparent with their users, but in general, it does not include personally identifiable information. Ivacy also provides links to disable cookies on their website, which is unique compared with other VPNs that do not mention anything about cookies at all.
Reports
When it comes to VPNs we prefer companies that issue transparency reports and have third-party audits, especially on their privacy policies. Ivacy doesn’t offer a transparency report nor has undergone a third-party audit despite being evaluated by the trade group IoXt. We appreciate the effort made in regards to its Android Ivacy app but would like more from Ivacy when it comes to accountability and transparency.
Ivacy Pricing
The Ivacy is available in 3 different plans, You can choose any plan as per your need and requirement. These 3 plans are as follows –
- 1 Month Plan
- 1 Year Plan
- 5 Year Plan
1 Month Plan
You have to pay $9.95 on the monthly basis in order to use this plan. Your savings will be zero if you use this plan.
1 Year Plan
You have to pay $3.99 on the monthly basis in order to use this plan. Your savings will be $71.4 if you use this plan.
5 Year Plan
You have to pay $1.19 on the monthly basis in order to use this plan. Your savings will be $525 if you use this plan.
1 Month Plan | 1-Year Plan | 5-Year Plan |
Price – $9.95/month | Price – $3.99/month | Price – $1.19/month |
Savings – 0 | Savings – $71.4 | Savings – $525 |
Pros
You can use the free version of the Ivacy if you don’t want to spend money initially. You get the free version of the Ivacy with some limitations, You can later invest money in Ivacy once you gain confidence in it.
Ivacy has a very diverse server location which is very helpful. This will ensure that you get the service without any interruption.
In order to find the right software for your needs, it’s helpful to know what features are available. This can help you narrow down your search and find the software that will work best for your company. And we can assure you that you get very helpful features with the Ivacy.
You get good pricing options if you purchase the plan for the long term.
Cons
You do not get the multi-hop connection with the Ivacy.
When we tested the speed, we got poor speed performance in some areas.
Multiple Platform
You can use the Ivacy on the multiple devices and these devices and the extensions are as mentioned below
Ivacy for Windows and Mac OS
Ivacy VPN has a ton of features. One thing it is missing, though, is the kill switch and split tunnelling. The former helps secure your identity and location in case there’s ever a problem with your connection or device, the latter allows you to use apps like torrents without risking intrusion from others online- which should be enabled by default.
Ivacy VPN for Windows also comes equipped with all its options under different tabs across its main window (second tab from left). Hovering over each tab gives you more information about what it does – such as malware protection through Secure Downloading on the second one down. You’ll also find specialized streaming servers among other settings here too.
Using the Ivacy VPN app isn’t difficult but can take some time to get used to, for example, you have to disconnect before changing locations so any tweaks are done correctly.
Ivacy Mobile App
When it comes to look and feel, Ivacy best VPN for Android has a lot more features than its competitor like split tunnelling (giving you the ability to not use certain apps while connected), multi-port (an open port scanner), and protocols selection from UDP or TCP.
It also allows to choose servers according to output purpose, streaming, secure downloading or unblocking content on any site. Just like other clients, Ivacy offers this feature too with ease but mostly because there are no additional features.
Ivacy Extensions
Ivacy VPN online offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. These are lightweight features for a quick IP change while browsing with nothing more than basic options. However, I liked that the icon changes to the flag of the country you’ve connected to which is convenient and informative.
The only two options available are Bypass Proxy or Prevent WebRTC leak. These both of which should be turned on all-time if possible (although I recommend Avoid WebRTC Leak first). The former is a split tunnelling feature; however, it will not work in regions where Ivacy VPN servers cannot connect due to censorship/geo-restrictions on any domains/addresses
Customer Support
Ivacy VPN has 24/7 live chat support. I have contacted them multiple times and was connected to an agent right away, who answered most of my questions swiftly. However, when I had a more serious connectivity issue it took us two hours to solve it if only I agreed to let them use my computer via TeamViewer in the process.
On the other hand, they do check their tickets every day and you can submit one as well In any case if you don’t want aid from Ivacy staff members there is also a Support Center with step-by-step guides for all those FAQs. Also video tutorials available for you.
Ivacy Review-Final Thought
IVACY VPN is good. It has a couple of useful features, collects no logs and its speeds are above average if you’re lucky. In addition, it supports torrenting (although the speed can be inconsistent) and when it comes to streaming you would expect more than just Netflix US from a service with dedicated servers.
It lacks WireGuard tunneling protocol for Apple devices as well as an application for Linux or MacOS users. Moreover HD video quality could be frustrating due to performance issues. At least that was my experience while writing this review. Sometimes I felt like IVACY stopped improving things a couple of years ago which hopefully changes in the near future,
Hence, You should try the Ivacy once, and decide the things for yourself.
