This Ivacy VPN review looks at the company that brought a split tunnel possibility to the world. It is based in Singapore and has been around since 2007, so it isn’t a new player in VPN services.
It has a few unique features and is friendly on the pocket, so we will find out if it is a viable option or gets lost in the sea of other VPN providers with this in-depth look.
Recommended For
With high levels of encryption, and no data leaks. The consistent speeds make Ivacy VPN ideal for torrenting and streaming.
Pros
Cons
Plans and Pricing
While the monthly cost doesn’t change much from every other VPN provider, the 5-year plan, which is available now, is super cheap and maybe the cheapest you can find anywhere.
5-Years
$0.99
Billed as $60 every 5-years.
2-Years
$2.25
Billed as $54 every 2 years
1-Year
$3.33
Billed as $40 every 12 months
1-Month
$9.95
Billed monthly
The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but there are a few exceptions to this.
- You have not had your account suspended by Ivacy.
- You are claiming the refund within the specified time limits
- You have not paid using crypto, coin options or Paymentwall
Payment options include credit card, cryptocurrency, Paymentwall, Perfect Money, Alipay, and PayPal.
Key Features
Privacy
One of the major concerns is that the company is based in Singapore, and although this is outside any 5-eyes or 14-eyes jurisdiction, Singapore is known to partner with this coalition.
For encryption, Ivacy uses the same military-grade encryption as market leaders. They support PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols, and the encryption is taken care of with industry-standard AES-256 bit encryption.
Logging
Many VPN providers claim zero-logging. Ivacy claim they retain no data that can be used to relate to any user.
Like all other VPNs, they retain some data, which you can expect; this includes your name, means of payment, email address, and any crash reports.
Ivacy will also delete any email addresses after 12-months of account inactivity. Users can also request the deletion of their personal information if they so wish.
Ease of Use
Supported Devices
An Ivacy login will allow 5 simultaneous connections.
Apps
Ivacy supports a vast range of devices. This comprises Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Each has native clients, while other devices such as Linux, Routers, OpenELEC, Smart TVs, Kodi, Amazon FireOS, and Blackberry have step-by-step installation instructions on the website as part of the support section.
Games consoles are also supported with the installation guides, as well as a few other obscure devices.
Sign-Up
Signing up for Ivacy is straightforward; you head to the website and click on the orange “Get Started” button.
This takes you to the page of plan options. Select your plan, and then you proceed to the payment options. Just select the option you require.
You are then presented with your account details to add. Enter your name, email address, and confirm email.
You can choose add-ons here, which are dedicated IP addresses, or port forwarding.
Lastly, you click on the agreement of the Ivacy privacy policy and its terms of usage.
You will receive a confirmation email with all your details
Setup
Once you begin installing the app, it will run through all it needs to, and then the software will automatically be launched.
From there, all you need to do is enter your Ivacy account details and connect with your preferred server.
On the user interface, you have a large round connect button on the interface. This shows connection or disconnection.
The client comes with a download section where you are taken to fast and secure servers; these are ideal for downloading content.
Country choice can be changed from the drop-down list which sits under the connect button. Here you can change your VPN connection.
Under this, there is a streaming button, which lets you access geo-locked streaming services. Where this connects to will vary depending on your location.
There is another option to Unlock; this has several servers, which allow access to banned websites in your local area. Again, this may change depending on where you are.
Ivacy allows users to use a dedicated IP address; if you sign up for this, you can access it directly from the inside client. These IPs deliver better speed and security.
There is a settings button on the bar; this allows users to delve into the settings to tweak things such as IPv6 leak protection and the auto-connect function.
Users can also seek assistance directly from inside the apps without heading to the website. (Read Netflix Free Trial Code Without Credit Card)
Advanced Features
Ivacy comes with plenty of features that should satisfy every VPN user. With full DNS and IPv6 leak protection, there is no way your IP can be traced while you are taking part in your online activities.
If you lose connection to the VPN, there is a built-in internet kill switch that will prevent all your running apps from accessing the internet until your VPN connection comes back online.
Of course, there is split tunneling because it was Ivacy who created this feature. While there is no ad blocker, there is anti-malware built-in. (Find the best ad blocker here)
The company claims this scans and removes viruses before any can reach the device.
One surprising feature was how well Ivacy was working with Kodi. It works with Kodi, but there is a designated add-on for installing into the media player.
Browser Extensions
Ivacy offers extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The Chrome extension uses the same military-grade AES-256 bit encryption, so you can be sure your browsing experience is safe and secure.
The Firefox extension though similar doesn’t perform as well or as reliably as the one for Chrome. It also had some connection issues.
Performance
Speed Test
It was debatable how many server locations there were in the Ivacy network; now, they claim 1000+ VPN servers in 100 locations on the company website.
Compared to many other providers, the network is on the small side, but the speed tests were quite surprising.
Testing against servers in different locations, the download speed remained consistent on most occasions, although there were a couple of connection issues on some servers at specific times.
With 99% uptime of the network, there was an average of around 40% of the base speed while connecting via Ivacy VPN.
If you look at the countries that perform the best, the Ivacy download speeds are better for servers around Japan, UK, the USA, and some European counties were good.
Customer Service
For VPNs, reliable customer service is necessary. When it comes to Ivacy, you can expect this.
- Live Chat Support: Ivacy provides live chat on their website that you can start from any page.
- FAQs: The Ivacy FAQ consists of around 45 questions, so you have a good possibility of having your question answered before you even contact a customer support representative.
- Support Tickets: You can email the app itself; it will be dealt with as a support ticket. If you intend to get help in this manner, you should expect Ivacy to reply within 24 hours.
- Email contact: Lastly, you can email according to the query you have. On the Ivacy website, you will find a ‘Contact Us page, which also contains an online contact form you can fill out.
Netflix
During testing, Ivacy successfully allowed access to Netflix. This is surprising as many other VPN companies charge much more than this service and either can’t reliably deliver unblocking or don’t support access because of the hassle.
This VPN also allows access to Hulu and others, but on occasion, the app froze when trying to connect to the BBC iPlayer.
Torrenting
Some Ivacy servers are optimized for downloading torrents and P2P file sharing. This means users will maintain the fastest possible speeds using a VPN while remaining safe and secure with no IP or DNS leaks.
Wrap Up
Ivacy is an extremely feature-rich VPN that is available for meager prices. At its core, this VPN is a capable service that enhances your internet presence by removing geo-restrictions and unreasonable surveillance.
It does deliver on privacy and security and offers plenty of features that are suitable for many users.
While it needs improvements in several areas, it was seen as a decent performer for the price. It is better than many, albeit still behind some of the top-tier products.
Bottom Line
It is a decent cheap performer. Ivacy is one VPN where you can get more than what you pay for.
