Avast VPN vs IPVanish

The internet is packed with competing VPN services, and choosing a provider can be confusing if you aren’t sure what the differences are.

Many VPN services use aggressive marketing techniques to attract users, which means you don’t always get what they claim. You must be careful not to opt for the first option that claims to be “the fastest” or “most secure.”

In this comparison article, we have made ‌the task of choosing a VPN easier. We analyzed IPVanish and Avast VPN across nine important categories to let you see which VPN is faster, more secure, more useful, and offers better value for money.

Highlights

IPVanish Allows unlimited connections Fast and reliable Strong focus on security and privacy Excellent multi-platform support Servers in 50+ countries

Avast SecureLine VPN No usage logs Affordable protection Connect 10 devices at once Very easy to use Servers in 34 countries

Avast VPN vs IPVanish pricing

When it comes to pricing, it seems clear that IPVanish is better in a number of ways. Firstly, IPVanish offers various shorter-length plans. You can opt to get a single-month subscription or a three-month subscription, which is great if you only need the use of a VPN while going on vacation or traveling for work.

IPVanish is also considerably cheaper when you subscribe for a longer period. While Avast has lengthier subscription options, IPVanish gives bigger discounts.

A year-long plan with IPVanish will set you back $39.99. A three-year subscription would cost you $119.97. Compare this to Avast VPN, which costs $55.08 for a single year, and $158.04 for three years, and you can see that IPVanish is considerably cheaper.

The only place where Avast SecureLine VPN comes out in front is by offering a 7-day free trial that you can use without the providing any payment details. This gives you the opportunity to test the VPN to see whether you like it.

With IPVanish, there is no free trial, per se. However, you do get a full 30-day money-back guarantee. So while you do have to pay upfront, you can always change your mind and get a full refund. The benefit of this is that you can actually test the VPN risk-free for a month.

All things considered, we were actually quite shocked by Avast’s pricing scheme. It is as if they forgot to provide a discount on the lengthier plans, which leaves you scratching your head because there really is no point subscribing for three years, other than to lock in the current price out of fear that it might go up in the future.

On that topic, the price of Avast will go up to $8.33 per month after the initial period is over. So if you subscribe for a year, the cost in the second year will increase to $100. This makes Avast a very expensive option, and even if you do subscribe, we would recommend you set a reminder on your calendar to cancel your account after your initial subscription is over.

It’s a shame that Avast does not offer a single-month subscription, as this really rules it out for any customers in need of a VPN for security while they travel, or to gain accessibility if traveling to a country with excessive online censorship such as China.

Best Deal for IPVanish:Get a 69% discount with an annual plan.

Best Deal for Avast VPN:Get 46 percent off with Avast’s two-year plan.

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Avast VPN vs IPVanish features

When it comes to VPN features, it seems fair to say that Avast SecureLine VPN is a little lacking when compared to IPVanish. Both VPNs provide a kill switch, which ensures your internet will be cut should the VPN connection fail for any reason. This is great in terms of privacy because it means you never have to worry about leaking unencrypted data to your ISP.

Split tunneling is available with IPVanish on Android and Fire OS. With Avast VPN, you can whitelist URLs that you do not want to access through the VPN. This allows you to visit some websites outside of the VPN tunnel if you want to

Avast VPN comes with automatic wifi protection that connects the VPN automatically if you join an unknown wifi network. This helps to protect you against hackers who set up a fake ‘evil twin’ wifi hotspot in order to intercept your data. It also helps to prevent companies from tracking your web visits if you use the public wifi in a hotel, airport, or coffee shop.

IPVanish has a similar feature that automatically connects the VPN any time an internet connection is detected. This ensures that the VPN connects every single time you use the internet – whether at home, at work, or using public wifi.

Avast Secure Line VPN does not offer support for routers, set-top boxes, consoles, or other devices. It is only suitable for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. The good news is that we have nifty guides for setting up a Windows or Mac computer as a VPN protected wifi hotspot. So, as long as you use the VPN on a desktop or laptop computer – you could still connect other devices to the VPN yourself via your hotspot.

IPVanish, on the other hand, is directly compatible with Fire Sticks, Fire TVs, Kodi and Roku boxes, Linux machines, and various brands of routers (including DD-WRT, Tomato, ASUSWRT and ASUSWRT-Merlin). Plus, you can also connect to other devices by setting up a virtual hotspot.

Both IPVanish and Avast VPN come with DNS leak protection built in by default. You don’t have to worry about enabling it in the app; it will prevent leaks at all times. Both these providers also always handle your DNS requests with their own servers, which means that your web requests are proxied securely to give you online privacy.

The benefit of IPVanish when compared to AvastVPN is that you get a few extra features. This includes XOR obfuscation for bypassing firewalls and preventing ISPs from being able to detect VPN use in countries where VPN is frowned upon, or where it could raise suspicions that you are bypassing local censorship.

IPVanish also provides a number of different protocols, including the popular modern VPN protocol, WireGuard. This is a secure tunneling protocol that is designed to provide super-fast speeds. You also get the option to connect using IKEv2, OpenVPN, and IPSec. Avast VPN, on the other hand, only provides OpenVPN or IKEv2.

Finally, for those wondering, neither of these VPNs can enable port forwarding. This is a feature that is popular among people who torrent, or host game servers, for example. It is also worth noting that neither of these VPNs provides static or dedicated IPs.

IPVanish provides a SOCKS5 proxy as an extra for its users.

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Streaming and unblocking

When it comes to streaming, these VPNs are pretty similar. While both providers can unblock some popular international services, Avast definitely came out on top in our latest review.

IPVanish can unblock Netflix US if you connect to the Dallas, Seattle, or New York servers. You can also access the UK Netflix catalog using IPVanish. The same was true with Avast, which was able to unblock Netflix with 4 of its dedicated streaming servers (2 in the US, one in the UK, and Germany).

If you want to catch up on British TV from the BBC, we don’t recommend either of these VPNs because they do not work to stream iPlayer. The good news is that they can both unblock ITV Hub, Channel 4, and Sky Go.

In terms of US content, both of these VPNs worked with Hulu when we tested them. They could also access some TV services like NBC. However, neither worked with ABC in our tests. The good news is that IPVanish also worked with CBS. This was not the case when using Avast.

Overall, the results weren’t too bad and there are worse options out there. However, if streaming is extremely important to you, I recommend IPVanish over Avast because most people like to be able to access Netflix US, and IPVanish was much faster in our tests, which makes it more reliable for streaming in HD without buffering.

That said, those wanting to stream may prefer to opt for the best VPN on the market, NordVPN, which works with over a dozen Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Hulu, and every single one of the services listed above! Plus, you can use it to access regional TV platforms in Japan, Australia, Germany, the UK, and many more.

Which of these VPNs work in China?

China is well known for its highly effective national firewall, known as the Great Firewall of China. This blocks access to many Western platforms and services, including Facebook, Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, Spotify, and Reddit. It even restricts news websites like the BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, HuffPost, TIME, NBC News, and Bloomberg.

A VPN can help you bypass this censorship, but the vast majority of VPNs will not work in China because ISPs work hard to block VPN connections on behalf of the government. As a result, you will need a VPN that knows how to get around these blocks.

Unfortunately, neither IPVanish nor Avast SecureLine VPN provides VPN access for users in China. This means that you will need to opt for an alternative if you are in China – or are planning to travel there – and want online privacy or access to any of the services mentioned above.

If this is the case, we would recommend NordVPN, which is the best VPN for China, or Surfshark which is an excellent, cheaper alternative.

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Setup and interface

When it comes to ease of use, it is pretty hard to tell these VPNs apart. Both have easy-to-use custom apps for all popular devices and platforms. You can download these apps from the provider’s website or from the corresponding App store (Google Play or Apple Store).

These apps come with an automated installation wizard with both services, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner – you will be able to install and use the VPN with no problem.

Both VPNs use a list format for picking which server you want. They provide these servers with an alphabetical list, which means it is easy to scroll to the country (or city) you need.

The mobile apps are extremely straightforward with both of these providers. However, we do prefer the IPVanish app for Android because of its built-in split tunneling feature.

The same is true when it comes to the desktop version. IPVanish provides more control without overwhelming the user and allows you to do useful things like switching the VPN protocol. I use WireGuard to get better speeds, for example.

One thing I enjoyed about the Avast VPN apps is that you can pick from servers that are optimized for streaming or torrenting. With IPVanish, servers are not categorized by use purpose. You can use any server for any purpose without limitations.

Overall, we found both of these VPNs easy to use across all platforms. The settings menus are self-explanatory, and it is easy to connect, find servers, and navigate the features that are available.

Those looking for something they can point and click may prefer Avast, which is extremely basic – making it very beginner friendly. That said, be aware that if you choose the Smart VPN option, Avast will pick your server for you. This means you cannot pick your own server location, which can lead to confusion and frustration if you turn it on by accident.

Overall, we recommend IPVanish, which gives you more features for less money and still has a very low learning curve.

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Servers and performance

When it comes to server locations, IPVanish has more to offer.

Avast VPN has 41 server locations in 34 countries. The VPN does not provide any information about the total number of servers on its website, but our reviewer was able to find out that it has approximately 700 worldwide.

IPVanish on the other hand has over 2,000 servers in 75+ locations in 52 countries. This includes a huge selection of servers in 17 US states. These servers provide subscribers with a pool of over 40,000 IP addresses. This is a large network that avoids server congestion, allowing for a smoother experience and better speeds.

It is also worth noting that IPVanish owns the majority of its Tier-1 server network. This is good in terms of privacy and ensures that the VPN provides robust privacy levels and exceptional performance for data-intensive activities such as streaming, torrenting, gaming, and videoconferencing.

To help you out, we have included a list of supported countries below:

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Security

Both Avast and IPVanish encrypt your data using robust, modern algorithms. This ensures that your data is secure inside the tunnel, protecting it from data snoops, hackers, and government surveillance. It also means that both VPNs prevent your ISP from detecting what you are doing online.

While both of these VPNs are secure and futureproof, it is worth noting that Avast does implement OpenVPN with a slightly stronger RSA Handshake on the control channel. This technically makes Avast VPN’s OpenVPN tunnel more secure. However, the reality is that both are effectively uncrackable and perfectly secure against eavesdroppers.

Those wondering which protocol to use for privacy are advised to stick to either OpenVPN or IKEv2, both of which are available with both providers.

It is worth noting that Avast VPN also provides a proprietary protocol called Mimic. This protocol is designed to establish a connection in countries where long-standing VPN protocols like OpenVPN are being blocked. Avast has previously described its protocol as ‘experimental’ and as it is proprietary, we have no idea exactly how it works. This makes it hard to recommend for privacy and security purposes, as we have no way to audit a closed-source feature.

The fact that Mimic protocol can get around firewalls suggests that it includes some kind of obfuscation. Overall, having Mimic is a nice addition. However, it is slightly concerning that the client will always automatically revert back to Mimic in the client if it decides that Mimic will provide a better connection than OpenVPN. Ultimately, this leads to the concern that you may not actually be using OpenVPN, even when you specify that you want to use it in the application.

IPVanish and Avast VPN handle your DNS requests on their own servers, which means that they are proxied securely to prevent your ISP from detecting which top-level domains you are visiting. Further, in our tests, both VPNs protected users against DNS leaks by default on all servers.

The only other real difference between these two VPNs is the availability of XOR obfuscation with IPVanish. Obfuscation is a useful feature that allows you to bypass strict firewalls and use your VPN without your ISP noticing. IPVanish also has the WireGuard protocol as standard now. Wireguard is fast and secure, making it a great option for many use cases. Avast now has WireGuard available as a beta feature too.

Both VPNs provide a kill switch in their mobile and desktop apps (no kill-switch with IPVanish on iOS). A kill switch cuts your internet if the VPN connection drops out. This prevents you from leaking data to your ISP or a local network administrator and stops you from accidentally leaking your IP address to other users when doing P2P tasks like torrenting.

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Privacy

When it comes to providing privacy, these VPNs are pretty even.

IPVanish is based in the US, which admittedly, could be better. The USA is a country that has heavily funded intelligence agencies like the NSA and the CIA. It also implements warrants and gag orders that can force companies to secretly hand over user data.

Despite this caveat, IPVanish has a solid no-logs policy. It stores no usage or connections logs. This ensures that even if the authorities show up with a warrant, it will have no historical data related to what users did while connected.

AvastVPN is based in the Czech Republic, which is generally speaking a much better location for a privacy service to be based than the US. Czech doesn’t have well-funded intelligence to worry about, and it doesn’t have any invasive mandatory data retention directives either.

As you would expect from a VPN that is based in Czech, the VPN stores no usage logs related to what people do while connected.

That said, it does keep some connection logs. This includes your total bandwidth usage, the times and dates you’ve connected, and which of the VPN’s features you use. Avast deletes most of this data after 35 days. However, logs of application events (such as attempts to connect or uninstall the app) are stored for up to two years.

It does not store these alongside an IP address, so the VPN is not vulnerable to time-correlation attacks. However, it does admit to storing partial IP addresses in order to track whether it needs more servers in a specific country, this could potentially allow a user’s IP address to be fully unmasked by going to the ISP and asking for the rest of the IP address (if you sign up for AvastVPN using your real name, or by cross-referencing the name from the payment method with the ISP that owns the IP address in question). This is far from ideal.

Avast also tracks customer data for sales purposes. It shares this data with its other business interests (Avast antivirus and AVG antivirus), as well as the third-party companies it works with for analytical purposes (including Google Analytics and Apps Flyer).

As always seems to be the case with VPNs run by antivirus companies, this VPN tracks more data than the best independent VPNs on the market do. It also has a one-size fits all privacy policy that applies to all its products, which is far from ideal for a VPN that would do well to have a stricter set of rules about data collection and processing.

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Configuration

Both IPVanish and Avast VPN give users shared IP addresses. This is good in terms of privacy because it adds additional noise to each server, making it harder to correlate the usage of any single user back to them, even if watching the server in real-time.

As you can see above, neither of these VPNs provides dedicated IPs for their users. So if you need to rent an IP address for your sole use, you will need to check out the best VPNs with a dedicated static IP.

Both these VPNs can provide protection against DDoS attacks by concealing your actual IP address from other internet users (when you torrent or play games, for example). These VPNs also implement a NAT firewall, with no options for port forwarding.

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IPVanish VS Avast SecureLine VPN for gaming

For online gaming, the most important considerations are connection speeds, server locations, and device compatibility. Both IPVanish and Avast VPN have apps for Windows, Android, and iOS (which are the operating systems most often used for gaming).

If you play games on PlayStation Xbox, or another console, you will need to set up a computer as a virtual VPN protected wifi hotspot and connect through this. Alternatively, with IPVanish you could set up the VPN on a router and protect your console behind the VPN connection with all the other devices in your home.

In terms of speeds, we found IPVanish to be much more impressive. At the time of writing this VS article, it is the second fastest VPN available on the market. It averaged 488 Mbps in our tests. This makes it an exceptional VPN for streaming, gaming, torrenting, making video calls, and other data-intensive tasks.

IPVanish also has more servers in more countries, which gives you more options for accessing international game servers, or even for purchasing games for a lower cost on an international game store. Unfortunately, Avast VPN cannot compare with the speeds provided by IPVanish. In our tests, it had average download speeds of 34 Mbps, which puts it well outside of the top 10 fastest VPN providers.

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Customer service

When it comes to support, we much prefer IPVanish. Firstly, IPVanish is a dedicated VPN business, which means that its support operatives are trained solely to help VPN customers. This is not the case with Avast, which is foremost an antivirus company.

In addition to this distinction, IPVanish provides live chat support on its website that is available 24/7. You can always ask questions or get help to use the VPN at any time of day. The instantly available help makes IPVanish a much better value in our opinion.

Other than that, both services are pretty similar. Both have decent resources on their website, including setup guides, FAQs, a knowledge base, and video guides.

You’ll find the average response time below, as well as whether our question was answered or not:

	Avast VPN
Question	Initial response time	Number of emails	Question answered
Can I install Avast VPN on a DD-WRT router?	3 hours, 52 minutes	1	Yes
How do I set up Avast VPN for use in China?	4 hours, 44 minutes	1	Yes
Does Avast VPN protect against WebRTC leaks?	9 hours, 15 minutes	1	Yes

 

	IPVanish
Question	Initial response time	Number of emails	Question answered
Can I install IPVanish on a Raspberry Pi?	1 hour, 19 minutes	1	Yes
Does IPVanish encrypt traffic from other applications or just my browser?	11 hours, 6 minutes	1	Yes
Does IPVanish log my source IP address?	1 hour, 16 minutes	1	Yes

 

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The winner: IPVanish

While it is easy to think that opting for a VPN service that is operated by a well-known antivirus company is a good idea, we believe this head-to-head proves the opposite. IPVanish is a provider that has been around since 2012. In that time it has proven that it can provide high levels of privacy and online security for its user base.

IPVanish is one of the fastest VPNs on the market. It is much better than Avast VPN when it comes to accessing international streaming platforms. The IPVanish apps offer more features, and, in total, IPVanish came out in front in 9 out of ten of our categories.

Now consider the fact that IPVanish is also cheaper and has 24/7 live chat. Plus, you can use it on an unlimited number of devices, meaning you can share a single account with all your friends and family.

Of course, IPVanish does have some issues when compared to the very best VPNs on the market. It does sometimes lose access to popular streaming services, and it doesn’t unblock as many international services as a provider like NordVPN. However, when compared to Avast SecureLine VPN, it is leagues ahead.

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IPVanish VS Avast VPN FAQs