You need a VPN. It might not seem immediately obvious but if you’re regularly connecting to public Wi-Fi while travelling or visiting hotels, you need the backup of a VPN to ensure that no one can intercept your data. It’s also useful if you just simply want to be more private while online, plus many VPNs also offer up extra features to keep you and your identity safe.
I’ve spent extensive time with Surfshark, a big name in the VPN world since 2018, and IPVanish which was established in 2021. During that time, I’ve looked at which one is the one to buy for your situation.
After all, you only want to commit to one VPN, so I’ve looked at pricing, how easy each is to use, and any extra features they provide. Read on while I take you through everything you need to know.
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How I tested
I’ve previously used Surfshark for a couple of years, but I specifically signed up for a new account here to see what’s involved for a new user. I then used it for over a week and looked at the features included and how well it all worked. I did the same with IPVanish, using it for about 10 days to see how well it worked as I used the internet throughout the day.
Surfshark
Surfshark is one of the most beginner-friendly VPN services while still offering some advanced features to suit. It takes seconds to set up while you can easily use Multihop or split tunneling within moments, plus there’s a wealth of fast servers. It’s also pretty affordable, especially if you commit to longer periods of time when subscribing. If you want to enhance your protection, it’s similarly easy to add on an antivirus and other tools to keep you extra safe.
Buy now, Surfshark.com
IPVanish
IPVanish is a straightforward VPN which gets the job done. Its app isn’t the most appealing but the core elements are there including multihopping and split tunneling, along with threat protection for other issues. Its servers are speedy too and being able to check the load before you connect is useful when you want to find the fastest option. Where it falters more is that it’s rarely a particularly attractive option compared to the competition. It has some useful extras such as threat protection, but it omits other crucial features like dedicated IPs and its split tunnelling can be a little limited depending on what OS you’re using. It all feels less obviously tempting.
Buy now, Ipvanish.com
Surfshark vs IPVanish: Pricing and plans
Surfshark
Pros: Cheap plans; 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons: Month-by-month is expensive
IPVanish
Pros: Monthly plans are reasonably cheap; eSIM included; cheaper overall
Cons: Fewer features than some
Both Surfshark and IPVanish encourage longer commitments to their plans. Odds are you want to find a VPN for the long-term, rather than a month at a time anyhow, so that’s just fine. The best value for both comes from committing to a two-year plan but there are still some discounts for anyone who just wants a 12-month plan.
With Surfshark, its Starter package costs £11.29 on a monthly basis but that drops significantly to £34.35 for 15 months, or £40.23 for 27 months. With the plan, you get a VPN and also its alternative ID feature. The latter means you can mask your email address as needed. Upgrade to the One plan and you also get an antivirus, email scam checker and data leak alerts among other useful extras. It costs £48.33 for 27 months. There’s also One+ which costs £83.43 for 27 months and adds on data removal services from Incogni, while US users also gain identity theft protection.
IPVanish has two plans. Its Essential plan costs £37.96 for two years and provides you with a VPN, support for unlimited devices, basic threat protection, and 3GB of data on an eSIM. That price rises to £34.99 for 12 months (so you truly might as well sign up to two years), or £9.99 per month. Its Advanced plan adds on threat protection pro, a secure browser, cloud backup, and phone support to go alongside online support. It costs £57.42 for the first two years, £39.18 for 1 year, or £11.49 per month. There’s no option to purchase a dedicated IP though.
That all means that IPVanish is cheaper generally, but may lack a few crucial features for those who want an all-in-one solution.
Winner: IPVanish
Surfshark vs IPVanish: Features
Surfshark
Pros: Servers are fast; extras are useful
Cons: Not the biggest supply of servers
IPVanish
Pros: Fast servers; unlimited devices and data
Cons: Expensive for what it offers
Surfshark’s big selling point is that it has support for unlimited devices. That means if you don’t want to go to the hassle of setting it up on your router, you won’t miss out. It also has Alternative ID as standard across all its plans. The service allows you to easily mask your email address with a temporary one, in a similar vein to a feature that iOS users will be familiar with. It’s a useful extra among the core VPN side of things.
Surfshark provides over 4,500 servers spread around the world. This isn’t the largest number of servers, but in my experience, each is speedy so the quality is there. Surfshark also provides a Dynamic Multihop system so you can be confident your data is very secure. There’s a split tunnelling feature for when you don’t need everything need to be protected by the VPN (such as when gaming). There’s also a kill switch feature and ad and tracker blocking.
Upgrade to Surfshark One and you get even more, such as the option to block adult sites. One also offers a built-in antivirus, and private search tool, with One+ adding on data removal tools and identity theft protection for certain locations. Finally, you can buy a dedicated IP for a set monthly sum.
IPVanish has all the essentials, but isn’t the most attractive of services. Like Surfshark, there’s support for unlimited devices and there’s also no data cap either. It has servers across over 150 different locations, with servers generally pretty speedy. You can also see at a glance how high the load is for each location which should help ascertain the speed.
There’s a simple double hop feature within the app, plus you can set up split tunnelling for certain apps to go around the VPN. That’s always good for gaming as there’s no port forwarding support. A kill switch is an obvious inclusion, but I’m glad it’s there. IPVanish also throws in a 3GB or 5GB eSIM.
If you want additional coverage, such as real-time protection against malware and unsafe downloads, as well as cloud backup or a secure browser, you need to get the Advanced plan, which isn’t as cheap as some competitors. The Essentials plan offers limited threat protection which blocks trackers, ads, and malicious domains, but Advanced goes much further. It’s a solid showing from IPVanish, but I did prefer how Surfshark conducts things.
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark vs IPVanish: Ease of use
Surfshark
Pros: Very simple to set up; one app controls everything
Cons: Potentially overly simple for advanced users
IPVanish
Pros: Quick setup; simple to use app
Cons: App is pretty ugly looking
Surfshark is one of the most user-friendly VPN services available. From the outset, it guides you through everything you need to know. That includes offering either the use of a shared IP, or paying extra for a dedicated one. Most people will be happy with a shared one, but it’s good to see the benefits so readily shared.
From there, installing the app takes a moment and just requires picking a country and connecting. If you poke about, you can find the multihop connection but ultimately, hit the big button and you’re covered by going to your nearest VPN server location. The same app also has the antivirus and other features built-in so you don’t need to install multiple apps.
IPVanish is very simple to use too, but it’s not exactly pretty to look at. Potentially the most basic looking app in the VPN world, it gets the job done but don’t count on style along the way. It’s simple enough to pick a server or set up a double hop for extra security. Built into the app is its link checker to confirm if a site is safe or not. It’s a simple but useful touch if you’re uncertain about a site.
At all times, you can see a graph to show data going in and out, but that’s about as far as IPVanish gets in terms of good looks.
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark vs IPVanish: Support
Surfshark
Pros: Help centre solves many queries; live chat works well
Cons: No phone support
IPVanish
Pros: Varied methods of assistance; setup guides are good
Cons: No phone support
Covering all the essentials, Surfshark ticks all the boxes for good support. It lacks phone support like many VPN services, but you’re good to go with everything else. It has a useful help centre which solves most of the most commonly asked questions without needing to talk to anyone. There are strong step-by-step instructions here, as well as good guides on how to install the Surfshark app across nearly every device you’d need to. That includes your smart TV.
When you do need to talk to someone, the live chat takes you through an automated AI system before passing you onto a human being if you need that extra level of support. There’s also a ticket system if you’d prefer to walk away and come back later. Predictably, that takes a bit longer, but it’s ideal if the issue is nothing urgent.
IPVanish covers the core bases. It has some great setup guides for every device you may wish to install it to. Some may have screenshots that are a little dated, but the same principle applies so you won’t get lost. Alongside that is a FAQ which covers popular questions.
If none of that helps, you can dive into the support section which provides troubleshooting advice. Finally, there’s the AI chat bot which will eventually lead to a human being if you need more detailed advice. You should be covered for the most part here, and I really appreciated the setup guides. If you’re an advanced plan user, you also get phone support during certain hours.
Winner: IPVanish
Should you choose Surfshark or IPVanish?
Both Surfshark and IPVanish will protect your data while you browse online. It’s the approach that slightly differs. I found Surfshark to be the more beginner-friendly option as it contains everything you need in a neat package. Its VPN is easy to connect to, while you can quickly add on an antivirus and other tools if you need them. There’s also Alternative ID which is useful for those times you want to keep your email address hidden.
In contrast, IPVanish is a good VPN with decent speeds and plenty of servers, but its additional features aren’t quite as vital or as comprehensive as Surfshark’s. An eSIM is a neat touch but not strictly needed by everyone. Its app is also one of the least attractive out there, which might not be a dealbreaker but adds up when you’re paying for a product. It really does look like something designed an increasingly long time ago.
Surfshark feels like the VPN that will grow with you. Invariably, you want more than just a VPN to keep you secure online, and Surfshark offers that in buckets. Both will do the basic job well, but you’ll find yourself enjoying using Surfshark more.
How Surfshark and IPVanish were tested
During my time testing and evaluating Surfshark and IPVanish, I made sure to consider some key criteria which need to be met to be a worthy purchase. Here’s what I thought about:
- Ease of use: I focused on how simple to use Surfshark and IPVanish are. I looked to see how user friendly they are but also if advanced features were easy to find and enable. Ease of use spreads throughout the whole experience from installing the app to cancelling a plan if you choose to.
- Features: Most VPNs are far more than ‘just’ VPNs now so I looked at the additional features these VPN services offered. I also looked to see if the extra features were genuinely useful and how convenient they are for your needs. I compared them with competitors to see if each VPN was keeping up in the field.
- Value for money: I looked at the prices of Surfshark and IPVanish. This included deals and what to expect during auto renewal periods. I didn’t focus on the cheapest VPN service but the one that represented the best value for money. I considered any extra features and how that impacted the value for money I was looking for.
- Performance: I wanted to ensure that the VPN worked smoothly. That meant internet speeds were still pretty strong, but I also looked at how well the VPN’s app ran on a PC or other devices. It’s important to not feel negatively affected by the use of a VPN so that’s what I focused on.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Jennifer Allen is an expert in everything tech. She has been writing about online security, as well as website building and hosting, gaming and console reviews since 2010.
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