ExpressVPN vs IPVanish

IPVanish and ExpressVPN are two fairly popular VPNs that are worth checking into due to their specific features. Both are fairly well-reviewed, with ExpressVPN having better ratings and a better track record overall. ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, and IPVanish is based in the United States. Some people consider jurisdiction as an important factor to choose a VPN.

Here’s some information to help you see which of these services may fit the best for you.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish comparison

Jurisdiction	BVI	USA
3rd party audit	Yes, by PwC	No
RAM-only servers	Yes, all servers	No
Native apps	Windows MacOS Android iOS Android TV Linux Firestick Chromebook	Windows Mac Android iOS Linux Firestick Routers
Connections	5	Unlimited
Browser extensions	Chrome Firefox Edge	Chrome
Advanced features	Kill Switch Smart DNS Split tunneling	Kill Switch 250GB of secure cloud storage
Servers network	3000 servers in 94 countries	1500 servers in  75 countries
Streaming and P2P	Yes, all servers	Yes, all servers
Free trial	Yes, in the mobile app	No
Price	$8.32 /mo 1-year plan $99.84 billed 30-days money-back guarantee	$34.99 first year $143.88 /year after
invpn.com rating	4.5 / 5.0	3.9 / 5.0
Full review	ExpressVPN Review	IPVanish Review
	Get ExpressVPN	Get IPVanish

Jurisdiction

IPVanish is based in the United States. This means that the company is subject to the privacy laws in that country, which are definitely not the most privacy-friendly.

On the other hand, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. Privacy laws of BVI are one of the most privacy-friendly.

Transparency

ExpressVPN has been through third-party audits like the one they did from PwC. The audit company even went so far as to interview employees before checking all the servers and other technical specifics. It’s hard to get a clearer view of a company’s transparency about what they say than a respected third-party company checking them out. The audit found that ExpressVPN really doesn’t keep logs, just like they claimed.

In contrast, IPVanish has had some trouble when it comes to transparency. The problem was that there was an incident that showed that IPVanish found an individual user for an organization that asked them to do so. IPVanish claims that the group responsible for making that decision is no longer at the company anymore since it was re-acquired by new owners.

IPVanish ensures that they don’t “record, monitor, or store any activity or connection logs.”

Native Apps

The more “native” apps that a VPN service provides, the easier it is to use that service on multiple platforms. It’s a fair way to evaluate IPVanish vs ExpressVPN, for example. IPVanish has an entire section on their site for apps. You can see it in the top right where it says “Apps” right on their web page. They have native applications available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV from Amazon, Chrome OS, Linux Debian or RedHat, and routers. The website makes it easier to look through the apps and get what you need quickly.

ExpressVPN has a similar spread of native apps, except they have Android TV instead of Fire TV, but this is at least a difference.

Browser Extension

The Web browser extension for ExpressVPN on lets you use many of their features like their Express VPN Trusted custom server options. It works for Chrome, Vivaldi, Firefox, and Edge, covering many of the major browsers.

In contrast, IPVanish has an app for Chrome only.

Browser extensions make it so that you can protect only traffic that goes through your browser instead of all connections to your computer. There can be good reasons for doing it this way, such as if you want to avoid alarming your bank application by navigating from a totally different IP than what you use normally.

Advanced VPN Features

IPVanish has fairly standard features, including the full 256-bit AES encryption which is military grade. They let you switch servers whenever you want, and use multiple different VPN protocols, so nothing too fancy.

On the other hand, ExpressVPN has options for their custom servers called ExpressVPN Trusted Server which makes it so that it’s simply not possible to record user data onto the servers. ExpressVPN also has a split tunneling feature that makes it easier to guide applications outside of the tunnel if that’s what you want to do. This gives you an extra sense of privacy which can make the difference when you’re making your decision between services.

Servers

When it comes to server speed, ExpressVPN tends to have a clear advantage when they’ve been tested. It’s usually significant, such as 140 Mbps to 90 Mbps or around there. Express VPN also has a total of 94 countries you can choose from, giving it a clear advantage there as well.

IPVanish has 1300 servers on over 75 locations with a total of 55 countries to choose from. ExpressVPN has over 3000 servers in 160 locations as well as more countries.

Streaming and Torrenting

ExpressVPN actually has specific features for streaming as part of their apps. They are also known for being able to unblock places like Netflix. In terms of Torrenting, the company claims that they don’t restrict traffic, but they do say they will act to prevent “abuse.”

IPVanish claims that it was actually designed partly for torrenting. Those who use Kodi often find IPVanish to be a good fit, for example. IPVanish also works for streaming places like Netflix.

In general, it’s a bit of a wash here since both companies make the same kinds of claims and tend to have similar results.

Free Trial and Price

Neither company has a free trial, but they do both have similar options available. For example, IPVanish has a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is exactly the same as what ExpressVPN has, so it’s a total wash here. IPVanish has a big “Start Now” button that makes it easier for you to get going with it as well. It also links to TrustPilot so you can see how this 30-day period has gone for other people.

Also, IPVanish charges you $6.49 per month if you go for a year, $11.99 per month, and $9 for three months. Beside that, ExpressVPN charges $8.32 per month for a year plan, $12.95 per month if you only go monthly, and $10 or so if you get 6 months ahead of time.

This means that they are rather similar in terms of price, with IPVanish having a bit of an edge generally. ExpressVPN does have discounts frequently though, so it’s worth looking out for that if you want to get high-quality service a bit cheaper.

Summary

The truth is that ExpressVPN tends to be better than IPVanish in many aspects. Express has better features like their RAM-only server technology with its extra security, it tends to have faster servers with more of them total and more variety in terms of countries. They also have a better reputation online for privacy. IPVanish may be slightly more economical if there are no discounts, but there frequently are. IPVanish may have slightly more options for protocols as well, but in the end, ExpressVPN does tend to beat them out in almost all categories.