Surfshark vs. IPVanish 2024 — Which VPN Is Best for You? by Ahmed Khaled

Ahmed Khaled

Updated on: December 25, 2023

Surfshark and IPVanish are popular VPN providers. They have great security (including a kill switch and an audited no-logs policy), excellent torrenting support, and both allow unlimited device connections.

In addition, Surfshark and IPvanish also have:

• Perfect forward secrecy.
• Obfuscation.
• DNS leak protection.
• Tor (The Onion Router) support.
• Split-tunneling.

However, there are noticeable differences between the two. Surfshark has 3,200+ in 100 countries, maintains fast speeds on nearby servers, has really good streaming support, and comes with extra features like an ad blocker. On the other hand, IPVanish has 2,200+ servers in 52 countries, doesn’t consistently work with major streaming platforms, and is noticeably slow on nearby and distant servers.

I tested and compared both Surfshark and IPVanish across different metrics, including security, additional features, privacy, server networks, speeds, streaming support, torrenting, gaming, bypassing censorship, ease of use and cross-platform compatibility, plans and pricing, and customer support. I think Surfshark is slightly better than IPVanish, but I recommend reading the entire article to determine which VPN is best for you.

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Surfshark vs. IPVanish — Quick Overview

Security — Both VPNs Are Very Secure

Both provide really strong security, as they come with the following industry-standard security features:

• 256-bit AES encryption. Ensures nobody can spy on you by making all of your online traffic unreadable. It’s the same type of encryption that the military uses.
• No-logs policy. Prevents the VPN provider from logging your browsing traffic and IP address (which can reveal your location).
• Kill switch. Protects from data leaks by disabling your internet traffic when your VPN connection drops.

But only IPVanish provides DNS and IPv6 leak protection — Surfshark only offers DNS leak protection. That said, I ran 10+ leak tests with each VPN on multiple servers, and I never experienced any leaks. And, only Surfshark uses RAM-only servers, which never store any data to the hard drive. Plus, it wipes all data with every reboot.

The good news is both providers have perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each VPN session, preventing cybercriminals from compromising past or future encryption keys. Both Surfshark and IPVanish offer multiple protocols, including WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec, which are secure and fast.

Surfshark also lets you secure your account with two-factor authentication. This way, you’re able to verify each login attempt with a time-sensitive code generated by an app or security key — it prevents unauthorized attempts to get into your account.

Extra Features — Surfshark Has More Extra Features

Surfshark comes with tons of extra features, while IPVanish only has a few.

Both VPN services provide split-tunneling, which lets you choose which traffic goes through the VPN tunnel and which traffic uses your internet service provider’s (ISP) network. But Surfshark’s split-tunneling is more convenient because it lets you split-tunnel both apps and sites, whereas IPVanish only lets you split-tunnel apps.

Surfshark and IPVanish also have obfuscation, which masks your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. This provides an extra layer of privacy if you don’t want your ISP to know you’re using a VPN.

But only Surfshark comes with an ad blocker (called CleanWeb), which blocks ads, third-party trackers, and malicious sites. In my tests, it blocked all ads, except for some pop-up ads, and stopped me from visiting shady sites 100% of the time.

Plus, it’s great that both VPNs support Tor traffic on all servers. This way, all you have to do to secure your data before accessing the dark web is connect to any server. But only IPVanish also has SOCKS5 proxy support, which changes your IP address without encrypting traffic for faster P2P speeds.

And, only Surfshark comes with a smart DNS, which lets you use a VPN on devices that don’t natively support VPN apps, such as certain smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Surfshark has a few extra features, which IPVanish lacks, including:

• Dynamic MultiHop. Routes your traffic through 2 VPN servers instead of just 1 server to provide more security.
• IP Rotator. Periodically changes your IP without changing your location or disconnecting you from the VPN server.
• Built-in speed test. Lets you determine which servers provide the fastest speeds, though it’s unfortunately not 100% accurate.
• Override GPS Location. An Android feature that matches your VPN location to your GPS location to make it difficult for mobile streaming apps to detect and block VPN connections..

Privacy — Both VPNs Are Great for Privacy

Surfshark and IPVanish have strict no-logs policies. They don’t collect user data including IP addresses, web activities, or downloaded files. I really like that Surfshark and IPVanish have had their no-logs policies audited. On top of that, Surfshark has undergone security audits on its browser extensions and server infrastructure.

Both Surfshark and IPVanish are based in countries that are part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (a group of countries that share data with each other). However, Surfshark and IPVanish both have strict no-logs policies so they wouldn’t have any data to share even if compelled to do so.

But only Surfshark supports cryptocurrency payments, which provide an extra layer of privacy compared to regular payment methods.

Servers — Surfshark Has a Better Server Network

Both VPN providers have large server networks, but Surfshark has a larger server count with 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, compared to IPVanish’s 2,200+ servers in 52 countries. A larger server network means you’re less likely to connect to an overcrowded server, which can slow it down. It also helps you connect to nearby servers for fast speeds.

Only Surfshark uses virtual servers, which provide you with an IP address from the country you connect to but are physically located elsewhere. Although some may believe that virtual servers aren’t safe, this isn’t true — they’re just as safe as physical servers. I tested all of Surfshark’s virtual servers, and I was always assigned the correct IP address. I also ran a couple of leak tests and I didn’t experience any leaks.

Both VPNs support torrenting, obfuscation, and Tor traffic on all servers. On top of that, Surfshark has Dynamic MultiHop servers that let you create custom double VPN connections by selecting whichever entry and exit servers you want.

Speeds — Surfshark Wins This Round

In my tests, Surfshark was much faster than IPVanish. With Surfshark, I consistently had fast speeds for all my online activities — including streaming, torrenting, and browsing — on nearby servers, and minimal slowdowns on distant servers.

While connected to Surfshark’s nearby servers, sites loaded instantly, HD videos loaded in 1–2 seconds, 4K videos took 3 seconds to load, and I didn’t experience any buffering while streaming. Downloading a 20 GB file took me only 16–17 minutes, which is good. On distant servers, sites took 2–3 seconds to load, and there was only minimal buffering on 4K videos.

IPVanish’s speeds were noticeably slower, especially when connected to distant servers. On nearby servers, HD videos loaded in 3 seconds, and 4K videos took 5 seconds to load and there was minor buffering when I skipped through them. On distant servers, sites and HD videos took 5–6 seconds to load, and I had to wait at least 13 seconds for videos in 4K quality to load.

Streaming — Surfshark Comes Out on Top

In terms of streaming, Surfshark significantly outperforms IPVanish. Surfshark works with 50+ streaming services, while IPVanish couldn’t provide me with an exact number.

Both VPNs work with Netflix well — but IPVanish only works with Netflix US (as confirmed by my US colleagues), while Surfshark’s customer support team confirmed it works with 15+ Netflix libraries, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan. This means if you’re using a VPN and live in any of these countries, you shouldn’t have a problem accessing your home library.

And Surfshark works with other top streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer, Max, and Amazon Prime — the only streaming site it doesn’t work with is Disney+. IPVanish, on the other hand, is limited to Netflix.

Also, only Surfshark has a smart DNS, which allows you to use a VPN on devices that don’t support VPN apps. Although the setup for this tool requires manual configuration, Surfshark offers helpful tutorials and the process takes only a few minutes.

Torrenting — Both VPNs Are Great for Torrenting

Both Surfshark and IPVanish offer strong P2P support. They allow torrenting across all of their servers, which is very convenient. Surfshark has over 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, while IPVanish has 2,200+ servers in 52 countries.

Both VPN providers also work well with popular P2P clients, such as Vuze, Deluge, and qBittorrent, and I didn’t experience any issues with any torrenting client during my tests.

However, only IPVanish offers SOCKS5 proxy servers. These servers replace your IP address with one from the country you’re connected to, but they don’t encrypt your traffic, which allows for faster download speeds.

I really like that both VPNs have good security for torrenting. They have a kill switch, a no-logs policy that has been independently audited and verified, and DNS leak protection (only IPVanish has IPv6 protection). But only Surfshark has an ad blocker that can block ads on P2P sites and stop you from accessing shady torrenting websites.

Gaming — Both VPNs Are Really Good for Gaming

When it comes to gaming, each VPN provided me with a good experience. During my tests, I played several matches of Dota 2 with both VPNs and had low ping and fast speeds on nearby servers. However, on distant servers, I experienced higher ping and minor lag with Surfshark, but it never affected my gaming experience. With IPVanish, I had stable ping but sometimes experienced noticeable lag on distant servers.

I like that both VPNs protect against Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. Also, they both have anti-DDoS protection on their servers, so nobody can DDoS your connection to their servers. Plus, both providers allow for router setups, which means you can use them on devices that don’t support VPN apps, such as gaming consoles.

It’s worth noting that only IPVanish has cloud gaming support, which lets you access platforms that stream video games to portable devices, like GeForce Now. Still, Surfshark worked with popular cloud gaming platforms in my tests.

Bypassing Censorship — I Don’t Recommend Either VPN

	Obfuscation	Works in China	Works in Russia	Works in Iran	Works in Indonesia	Works in Saudi Arabia
Surfshark	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
IPVanish	✅	❌	Maybe	❌	✅	❌

Unfortunately, neither VPN is great for use in restrictive countries. Representatives from both providers told me that they can’t guarantee the VPN would work in restrictive countries like China, Iran, or Saudi Arabia. IPVanish said its service works in Indonesia and might work in Russia, but that’s not good enough.

Instead, I recommend getting ExpressVPN. It has a proven track record of getting around censorship and works without any issues in countries like China and Iran — which is why it’s #1 on our list of best VPNs for bypassing censorship.

Apps & Ease of Use — Both VPNs Are User-Friendly

Both Surfshark and IPVanish offer user-friendly apps for major platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Android TV, Fire TV, and Chromebook. However, only Surfshark provides a dedicated app for Linux. Both VPNs also support manual router setups for users who prefer to protect all devices on their network from one place

And they each have feature-rich mobile apps that are easy to navigate and provide helpful explanations for all settings. Surfshark has more extra features, but it’s not any harder to use.

On desktop, both VPNs offer easy-to-use apps. I like that IPVanish’s apps come with a digital map where you can locate and connect to servers. But Surfshark also has tons of convenient features like a configurable quick-connect tool. In my tests, both desktop apps worked well without any bugs or crashes.

Plans & Pricing — Surfshark Is More Budget-Friendly

Surfshark and IPVanish are affordable and allow unlimited connections, but Surfshark’s plans are cheaper and offer better value.

Surfshark has 3 different plans available — a 1-month plan, a 1-year plan, and a 2-year plan. The longest plan is the cheapest and starts at only $1.99 / month.

IPVanish offers monthly and yearly subscriptions, with a 1-month, a 1-year, and a 2-year plan available. The longest plan provides the best savings, with prices starting at $2.99 / month.

Surfshark accepts more payment options, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and cryptocurrencies. IPVanish, on the other hand, only accepts credit/debit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal.

Finally, both VPNs have a 30-day money-back guarantee, but only Surfshark backs all of its plans with it — IPVanish’s refund only covers the longest plans.

Customer Support — Both VPNs Are Great Options

Surfshark and IPVanish both offer comprehensive customer support options, including live chat, email support, frequently asked questions (FAQs), tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.

Surshark and IPvainsh both have 24/7 live chat, which I personally prefer. It typically took less than 10 seconds to connect to a live rep with each VPN, which is really good. What’s more, the reps were always really friendly and able to provide me with helpful answers.

I also tested each VPN’s email support at random times throughout the week. Both Surfshark and IPVanish’s email support reps replied in less than a day and were very helpful. I also really like that IPVanish offers phone support since few VPNs do. It’s available in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, Australia, Brazil, and Spain from 9am to 5pm (UTC-6).

Surfshark vs. IPVanish: Overall Winner

Surfshark offers great value for its price. It comes with strong security and privacy features, 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, unlimited connections, and works with 50+ streaming platforms. It also provides great P2P support, comes with a very good ad blocker, and has easy-to-use apps for most devices.

IPVanish also offers strong security and privacy features, has good torrenting support, allows unlimited connections, and comes with user-friendly apps for most devices. It has 2,200+ servers in 52 countries and is decent for gaming.

Surfshark is a great pick for 2024, offering a larger server network, faster speeds, better streaming support, more extra features, and a better price point compared to IPVanish. It is the VPN I recommend most between the two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Surfshark better than IPVanish?

In my opinion, yes, Surfshark is better than IPVanish. It offers more features, a larger server network, faster connection speeds, and works with more streaming sites. However, both VPNs offer strong security, privacy, and good gaming support.

Which is faster — Surfshark or IPVanish?

Surfshark is faster than IPVanish. In my tests, Surfshark maintained consistently fast speeds for browsing, streaming, and torrenting on nearby servers, and I only experienced minor slowdowns on distant servers. IPVanish provided decent speeds, but there were noticeable slowdowns on both nearby and distant servers.

Do Surfshark or IPVanish work with Netflix?

Both Surfshark and IPVanish can work with Netflix. However, Surfshark is compatible with 15+ Netflix libraries, whereas IPVanish only works with Netflix US.

Which is better for torrenting — Surfshark or IPVanish?

Both VPNs are great for torrenting. They allow P2P traffic on all their servers, work with top P2P apps, and provide strong privacy and security features. IPVanish also has SOCKS5 proxy support, which can speed up P2P downloads, while Surfshark has an ad blocker that can block ads on P2P sites and stop you from visiting malicious torrenting sites.

Read more about the best VPNs in 2024