ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Which is Fastest and Secure in 2022?

Upon conducting the ExpressVPN vs IPVanish speed test, we can safely say that ExpressVPN wins this battle by offering blazing fast connections, especially if you connect to a server near to your physical location.

The ExpressVPN speed test was conducted with the OpenVPN (UDP) protocol which achieved an average download speed of 88.76 Mbps and an average upload speed of 84.3 Mbps.

IPVanish, too offered decent speed with its OpenVPN (UDP) protocol, achieving an average download speed of 76.19 Mbps and an average upload speed of 70.46 Mbps.

Here are the screenshots of my speed test:

Test 1: US Server

ExpressVPN

IPVanish

Test 2: UK Server

ExpressVPN

IPVanish

Test 3: Canada Server

ExpressVPN

IPVanish

Test 4: Germany Server

ExpressVPN

IPVanish

I used the OpenVPN (UDP) protocol as it is the most used protocol for hardcore gaming and streaming. However, if you connect to the OpenVPN (TCP) variant, the speed will most probably decrease as the protocol requires more juice to establish a stable connection.

Both of these VPNs offer more advanced protocols too. While IPVanish has WireGuard, ExpressVPN has its own propriety protocol called Lightway, which is super-secure and flashy-fast!

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Servers and Performance

Determining the winner in this category is quite easy. As you can see above, ExpressVPN offers way more diversity in servers selection as compared to the US-based IPVanish.

Where ExpressVPN offers 3000 servers in 94 countries, IPVanish only reaches 2000+ in 75 countries. As a result, users may face server load and latency issues.

So I would recommend going for ExpressVPN for a decent network of servers and performance.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Security Features

For users who sign up with ExpressVPN, you can feel assured to receive better security than IPVanish. The VPN supports IKEv2, OpenVPN, and Lightway protocols.

For security, you receive protection via AES-256-CBC and AES-256-GCM ciphers. The difference between the two is of something called “chosen ciphertext attacks”. AES-256-CBC uses a secure Message Authentication Code (MAC), along with AES.

Conversely, AES-256-GCM has built-in authentication codes, which makes the process a whole lot faster! For added security, ExpressVPN utilizes Perfect Forward secrecy via the DH-2048 Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

IPVanish, on the other hand, uses the same technologies and encryption but falls behind because of using the old RSA-2048 control channel encryption, which is not as effective as ExpressVPN’s RSA-4096!

So it is clear that the winner is ExpressVPN in this category because of the better encryption mechanism and its propriety Lightway protocol.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Privacy Features

Excluding ExpressVPN’s incredibly safe British Virgin Islands location (away from EU and US jurisdictions), the provider has an incredibly strong zero logs policy.

Though some account information is recorded, like name, email address, and payment information, the VPN does not store session/connection information, timestamps, and IP activity.

In fact, even the Turkish authorities could not find anything on ExpressVPN servers following a seizure after the assassination of the Russian Ambassador of Turkey.

IPVanish, on the other hand, has its headquarters in the Five Eyes Alliance country, the US. As such, it automatically loses a lot of its credibility as the government mandates data retention.

Therefore, if IPVanish receives a court order accompanied by a gag request, they will have to comply with the law, so as not to get into legal hassles.

So ExpressVPN is definitely the safer option if you’re hunting for a super private VPN.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Configuration

Both VPNs adopt a similar configuration of using shared IP addresses. Neither gives the ability to access dedicated/static IPs and this emits a huge audience that may want to safely indulge in banking transactions or access remote networks.

ExpressVPN and IPVanish both offer Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, which is great news for those users who may be using the VPN for gaming.

As a positive, Express and IPVanish do use NAT firewalls to block unsolicited incoming traffic by decrypting packet headers, getting the relevant IP address, and only sending traffic from that IP where it’s needed!

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Setup and Interface

Both ExpressVPN and IPVanish offer intuitive apps that work smoothly on larger and smaller screens. They have a neat outlook with a one-click connection interface with easy location selection feature.

Desktop apps

Both VPNs have GUI clients for Windows and macOS but there is no graphical app available for Linux users. To use ExpressVPN or IPVanish, you’ll have to manually set it up using your terminal window.

The desktop version of ExpressVPN uses a more compact style than IPVanish and unlocks most of its features hidden upon clicking on the menu button in the top left corner.

It has a big connect button with options for selecting a location underneath along with Smart Location and Recent Locations for quick connecting to servers.

IPVanish, on the other hand, has a more broader design with accessibility to more features than its mobile counterparts.

You can choose a server using any interface you prefer, list-based or map-based. Upon clicking on the gear icon in the left panel, you get to play with more features of IPVanish, including general settings, kill switch, LAN traffic blocking, protocol settings, and network security settings.

By comparison, though, it still falls behind ExpressVPN’s barebones automatic reconnection and Smart Location feature, along with an easy-to-comprehend look.

Mobile apps

The mobile version of ExpressVPN is almost identical to the desktop version with the same attributes and style, which is pretty much okay as the desktop version is easy to use.

IPVanish, on the other hand, has a different look for its mobile apps as compared to its desktop counterparts. It is designed to be more compact and less cluttered to perfectly fit a mobile screen.

And keep in mind that the Android version of IPVanish is superior to the iOS version since it has more features like the split tunneling option and obfuscation toggle.

Comparing them both, I would recommend ExpressVPN’s mobile interface as it is well-maintained and easy to navigate with far more features than IPVanish.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Unblocking Capabilities

As you can see above, both VPNs, ExpressVPN and IPVanish, offer functionality to streamers by unblocking Netflix and other mentioned streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Sky Go, Amazon Prime Video, and more.

However, while I experienced a “hit and miss” scenario with IPVanish with these streaming platforms to unblock different libraries, ExpressVPN worked the first upon connecting to a server with a smooth streaming experience because of its MediaStreamer feature.

So I would definitely recommend ExpressVPN as the best VPN for streaming.

As far as torrenting is concerned, both VPNs are champions in this category, offering P2P on all servers to keep your original IP hidden to avoid copyright infringement issues.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Do they actually work in China?

When it comes to bypassing the “Great Firewall”, you need a strong provider that does not skimp on security. The Great Firewall service implements algorithms that instantly block repeat IP addresses suspected to be part of a VPN provider.

It also disables the connection to any device that tries accessing content outside China or vice versa. Upon testing the two providers, only ExpressVPN proved incredibly successful in overcoming the challenges set by the “Great Firewall”

While the BVI-based provider doesn’t offer any Chinese servers, you can use the VPN while residing in China, as it offers a special obfuscation feature to make your VPN traffic look like regular traffic to the ISP. The feature is made for heavily restricted regions.

IPVanish, on the other hand, offers no such features for access in China specifically.

ExpressVPN vs IPVanish: Customer Service

Both IPVanish and ExpressVPN offer support via live chat, email, and a ticket system.

IPVanish even has a phone line. I haven’t used it myself but it is good to have an extra option in case you don’t want to type a scenario-based problem and instead explain it verbally to a representative.

Testing the live chat services revealed that responses were quite fast. Email/ticket support did take some time with IPVanish (averaging at 3 hours per reply), whereas ExpressVPN cut it shorter (averaging at 40 minutes).

We conducted these tests by sending each VPN three questions via email. Among them, two were general queries and two were a little more technical. See the statistics below:

Customer Service: ExpressVPN

Customer Service: IPVanish