Ivacy VPN Review: Cheap Prices with Strong Encryption – But Is It Really Private?

Looking for a VPN service and wondering if Ivacy is safe and legit? For all the pros, cons, and features of Ivacy, and whether it lives up to its claim of being a diversified cybersecurity solution, keep reading.

PMG Private Limited started Ivacy from Singapore in 2007. By 2012, it had over 1 million users, growing to 2 million by 2015. In 2020, Ivacy became an official member of the VPN Trust Initiative, which focuses on establishing quality industry standards for VPNs, and is also a member of the US National Cyber Security Alliance.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Cheap
• Works abroad in countries like China
• Works on most major platforms and devices
• Offers kill switch and split tunneling
• Large number of servers

Cons

• No smart DNS
• Located in a 14-eyes affiliate country

Ivacy VPN Overview

Countries:	60+
Servers & Locations:	5700+ servers across more than 100 locations
Customer Support:	24/7 via support ticket, email, or live chat
Log policy:	No logs
Encryption Protocols:	OpenVPN (TCP & UDP), IPSec, and IKeV2, plus support for SSTP, L2TP, and PPTP in certain locations
Supported Platforms:	Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, FireTV, and smart TVs
Routers Supported:	Asus, D-Link, DD-WRT, Linksys, Netduma, Sabai, Tomato, TP-LINK
Simultaneous Connections:	10
Split Tunneling:	Yes
Kill Switch:	Yes (Windows and Android only)
P2P File Sharing (Torrenting):	Yes
Country of Registration:	Singapore
Dedicated IP:	Yes (at extra cost)
Smart DNS:	No
Multihop:	No
Price	From $1.00/month
Free Trial or Money-Back Guarantee?	30-day money-back guarantee, and a 7-day trial for $0.99

Streaming Movies and TV Shows with Ivacy

Ivacy has a Smart Purpose Selection feature, which helps a user find the best settings for the VPN depending on their needs. Streaming usually requires faster connection speeds, so this feature should ensure you find the optimum settings for watching content online.

Compatible Devices and Services

Ivacy’s VPN works on almost every platform and device you could own, including:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android
• iOS
• Linux
• Android TV
• Amazon FireTV
• Kodi
• Raspberry Pi
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• Smart TVs
• Routers

Ivacy also works with most major streaming services, such as:

• Netflix (US version)
• BBC iPlayer
• Amazon Prime Video
• Hulu + Live TV
• Disney+
• Apple TV
• HBO Max

Browser Extensions

Ivacy has browser extensions for:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Edge

A VPN browser extension is an easy way to secure your internet traffic and protect against cyber threats like malware and hackers, without having to download a full desktop app.

Ease of Use

Ivacy has apps for each compatible platform and devices, all of which can be downloaded through links found on Ivacy’s official website.

Android users can quickly find the app from the Google Play Store, or through Ivacy’s official website. Ivacy has two Android apps: Ivacy VPN and Ivacy VPN TV, the lattter of which is designed for Android TVs.

Features

Ivacy includes many beneficial features for a VPN. These include:

• Split tunneling
• Smart Purpose Selection
• Kill switch
• Dedicated IP
• IPv6 Leak Protection

No logging policy

Ivacy is one of the VPN services that tends to respect the core idea of a VPN. Not logging users’ data is one of the first qualities of a good VPN.

Ivacy’s privacy policy strictly claims not to log or monitor user-specific data: “We strictly do not log or monitor, online browsing activities, connection logs, VPN IPs assigned, original IP addressed, browsing history, outgoing traffic, connection times, data you have access and/or DNS queries generated by your end. We have no information that could associatate specific activities to specific users.”

However, like many VPN providers though, Ivacy does collect the following information during signup:

• Your name
• Email address
• Payment method

Ivacy’s Privacy Policy goes on to say this collected information is used for the following purposes:

• Your Name and Payment Method aids in the account creation process.
• Your Email Address aids allows [Ivacy] to contact you with discounts, surveys and offers. But you can opt of promotional emails at any time from the members area.
• Your Email Address is needed to resend username and password in case you forget or lose them.
• Your Email Address is needed to respond to generated tickets.
• Your Email Address allows [Ivacy] to keep you up-to-date about the latest developments.

Ivacy promises that “information pertaining to inactive customers is removed after every 12 months.”

Simulataneous Connections

Ivacy VPN users can connect up to 10 simultaneous devices under one account. This should be more than enough to use with all your personal devices and allow for at least one family member as well.

You can opt to download Ivacy to your internet router, and then any device connected will also be protected by the VPN.

Ivacy’s Privacy and Security Features

Encryption

Good encryption is as important as a door lock. For VPNs, the industry standard is known as Advanced Encryption Standard 256 (often shortened to AES-256 Bit Encryption). This is what Ivacy uses, and claims it “makes penetrating the security next to impossible.”

Then you have protocols, which are like the lock pins. A protocol is a set of rules that determine how data will be moved over a VPN, including how it will be encrypted.

Ivacy offers a choice of protocols:

• Open VPN (TCP & UDP)
• IPSec
• IKeV2

It also provides support for SSTP, L2TP, and PPTP protocols for users located in:

• Australia – Sydney
• Germany
• Netherlands
• The UK – London
• US – Illinois, Washington DC, New York, California, Texas, and Florida.

All protocols differ on speed and security, so finding the best one will determine on your need and use. Ivacy has a smart purpose selection to help find the correct settings for you.

If you’re ever not sure, OpenVPN TCP is the recommended default.

Technical Details

How Fast Is Ivacy?

Ivacy tested well for speed.

The U.S Server ping increased 503.57%, download speed -15.73% and upload -6.40%.

United Kingdom server ping went up by 282.14%, download speed decreased by 3.52% and upload by 9.69%.

Asia server ping skyrocketed by 1221.43%, download -12.21% and upload -65.12%.

It may look like a sharp speed drop, yet it’s quite good in comparison to other services. Ivacy is pretty reliable in terms of speed.

Does Ivacy Work in Other Countries?

If you are a frequent traveler, making sure your VPN works abroad is a good idea. While most countries allow the use of VPNs, some governments have either banned them or placed strict restrictions on them.

China, in particular, is known for blocking many VPN providers. However, Ivacy has several servers in China, and has even launched its app in the country, so all users in East Asia should be able to able to use the internet securely through an Ivacy VPN.

Pricing

Ivacy offers one of the lowest subscription rates for a premium VPN, starting at a price of just $1.00 a month. This does require signing up for a five-year plan though, and is billed as one lump sum of $60.

There are three subscription rates and term lengths for Ivacy:

• 1 month – $9.95/month
• 5 years – $1.00/month, billed immediately at $60.
• 1 year – $3.99/month, billed immediately at $47.76.

Ivacy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for its 1- and 5-year plans. You can receive a refund for the monthly plan within seven days of the original purchase date.

You have a variety of ways to pay for Ivacy:

• Credit or debit card
• PayPal
• BitPay
• Coingate
• PerfectMoney
• Paymentwall

 

 

Customer support

Getting help when you need it is an important aspect of a VPN service.

Ivacy offers 24/7 support via support ticket, email, or live chat. It also maintains a comprehensive support centre on its website, which contains quick-start guides, FAQs, tutorials, and other helpful articles.

 

Located in 14 eyes partner jurisdiction

The “14 Eyes” is an information-sharing alliance between the governments of 14 countries. Beginning as an informal agreement between the UK and the US in 1941, called the “Atlantic Charter”, the alliance has grown to include 14 countries with a purpose of monitoring and exchanging mass surveillance data.

Singapore, where Ivacy is located, is not an official member of 14 eyes. However, it is considered an affiliate of the 14 eyes alliance, and therefore may be perceived by some as a threat in terms of cybersecurity.

Arguably, if a company doesn’t log your data, it shouldn’t matter. Despite this, some prefer to minimize the risk by choosing providers that aren’t located in a 14 eyes jurisdiction.

Ivacy VPN Review Summary

Ivacy’s main pros are its incredibly cheap price, fast speeds, highly responsive customer service, and strong encryption. For those not overly concerned about privacy and just want a decent VPN for watching Netflix or torrenting, Ivacy is a great choice.