IPVanish vs. Surfshark VPN Review

No other VPN providers we’ve tested match up so closely in terms of features and price. Both IPVanish and Surfshark provide a similar number of servers and countries for your secure connection, they let you connect using an unlimited number of gadgets you own per VPN account, and they even compare nicely on price.

The comparisons start to match up quickly when you analyze the most important spec of all: the price. Both products are about the same cost per month, even if you decide to pay by the year. That makes it harder to pick a clear winner.

Overall, IPVanish is more affordable. It is about two bucks cheaper if you pay by the month. If you want to buy a year upfront, Surfshark offers a lower price, but only by a couple dimes. Pocket change isn’t enough to sway our vote, but if it affects yours, check out our review of the cheapest VPNs.

Surfshark technically offers more servers than IPVanish, but it’s really too close to call. The difference is 800 servers, which means you have a few more to pick from if you use Surfshark, but this likely won’t impact your security and privacy that much. The reason is that many of us tend to use the same servers as long as it’s fast and reliable.

If Surfshark has a few more servers available, then IPVanish beats out the competition when it comes to the countries available—but only by a nose. In the long run, it won’t matter when all you need to do is watch Netflix in peace.

The biggest reason to choose IPVanish is if you travel frequently or there’s a specific country that runs a streaming site you need to access.

IPVanish and Surfshark have unrestricted access models, so you can connect with as many devices as you want. This feature isn't the rule for most VPN clients. Most only allow about five connections.

So there is no clear winner here in terms of simultaneous connections from your laptops, smartphones, smart television, router, and other devices like tablets and e-book readers.

In the end, IPVanish wins out. Not because of superior features, but simply because it is a bit more affordable. Overall, the two products are quite similar.

• Pricing: IPVanish is the cheaper option both when you pay by the month or the year. If you want to grab a contract, Surfshark has a better discount.
• Number of servers: Surfshark gets a slight edge for total number of servers.
• Number of countries: IPVanish has a small advantage here, which might matter if you like to travel.
• Number of devices: Both providers support unlimited devices.

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