Ivacy VPN Review 2024: Is This Really the Safest Free VPN?

Ivacy is a long-running VPN with some of the cheapest subscriptions around. It also offers a popular free version and an extensive server network with many rare locations. But is it actually safe or trustworthy with your data?

After all my tests, I’ve concluded that Ivacy is a solid option but not at the top VPN level. It offers above-average speeds and adequate security; the free version is better than most. However, some of its apps are missing key features, and it’s “good but not great” in most categories. I recommend you try one of the best VPNs around first.

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It’s possible to securely access all the major platforms with Ivacy, but it’s not perfect for streaming. While we could steam with every platform we tested, the playback was a little grainy with some services.

Works With: Netflix, Disney Plus, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Peacock, and more

We could watch full Netflix libraries from the US, the UK, and Japan. The Netflix-optimized server is specifically for the US library. It worked, and the quality was good if a tad grainy.

However, my colleagues in Brazil, Canada, and Australia could only watch Netflix Originals. This is a version of the site that removes the content Netflix doesn’t own.

I could even skip around the movie without long load times

Ivacy offers a good number of special streaming servers. While there aren’t specific servers optimized for them, we could also safely watch Peacock and YouTube. Check out the table below to see if it offers optimized servers for your favorite platforms:

From the US, I could instantly load videos in good quality

Some of Ivacy’s streaming servers are only optimized for US libraries (the Amazon Prime Video server, for example). In addition, sometimes they’re compatible with more platforms than the one listed. For example, the Hulu-optimized server also worked with Disney+.

So, they’re a better choice for streaming than using the regular servers, which were unsuccessful with Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video in some of our tests.

It’s also possible to stream BBC iPlayer from anywhere in decent quality with Ivacy. The only issue we ran into with this platform is that we had to switch from WireGuard to OpenVPN TCP to get it going. Overall, Ivacy is a good streaming VPN.

Ivacy’s overall speeds are slightly above average. Our speed expert in Indonesia tested each server at least 10 times to create averages. The tests were done with the IPsec protocol, since it was the fastest one available to her on her Mac device.

Speeds fell 23% on nearby servers and 49% on distant ones

The best VPNs usually only drop your speeds 10-20% on nearby servers. So, Ivacy did decently in that regard. However, virtual locations can create some surprising results. For example, the virtual server in China actually increased our tester’s speeds.

Virtual locations might drop your speeds more (37% for us)

During my own tests, WireGuard was the fastest protocol on Windows, dropping nearby speeds by 23%. I was surprised that this was the same average rate my colleague recorded with IPsec.

However, the speed drops with OpenVPN were huge. The TCP version dropped my rates by 91%, and UDP wasn’t much better with a reduction of 78%. So, using the superior Windows app won’t help your speed.

In summary, you can get solid speeds with Ivacy if there’s a physical location close to you. However, if you want guaranteed fast speeds no matter where you live, check out our list of the fastest VPNs around.

Ivacy won’t be the best choice for staying safe while you play fast games. The ping is the most important factor when you’re gaming. You want it below 85ms, so your character can instantly react to your commands. Although I got rates as low as 78ms at times, I still experienced some lag using US Ivacy servers while gaming.

There was a slight delay each time I tried to fire my weapon

It did work well with a card game like Hearthstone. So, it won’t be the worst choice if you mostly enjoy slower-paced titles. But, if you want to stay competitive with games that require rapid reflexes, you can try one of our favorite VPNs for gaming.

Ivacy has 5,700 servers in 100 countries. It’s a good amount, although there are VPNs that are available in way more countries. However, I’m happy to see several countries that most VPNs don’t provide, like Aruba and Nigeria.

It owns all of its servers, which makes it more secure. Most VPNs rent at least some of their servers. Ivacy also owns all of its virtual locations. These servers give you an IP in the country listed, but they’re somewhere else. The main issue is that these can affect your speeds as you saw in our tests.

There are 7 locations marked with a "v" in the Windows app

One thing I don’t like is how long it takes to connect on certain servers. For example, it took 30 seconds to connect to an Australian server during our speed tests, and it even took 25 seconds to load the server list at one point.

The app completely disappeared one time when I tried manually searching for a server too. This concerned me because the kill switch couldn’t activate. On a less worrying note, it’s also annoying that you have to disconnect before you can switch servers.

Dedicated IPs are available in 7 different countries. It’s an extra $1.99 per month for an IP address only you use in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, or the US. You don’t get to pick the city, but this is common with dedicated IPs. I like that these also come with port forwarding, which is $1 a month by itself.

These dedicated IPs aren’t a bad deal, but some VPNs offer it for cheaper in more locations. These can be useful if you’re running a website and need to keep using the same IP address. All in all, Ivacy offers a solid network, but its Windows app can be a little buggy.

Ivacy offers solid security, although it is missing a few key features. Most importantly, it secured your data with AES 256-bit encryption. This is the highest level available, and it’s used by militaries worldwide to protect confidential information.

In a dozen total tests, Ivacy always kept my location hidden

It also has an automatic port selection feature (called multiport), but there is no double VPN, ad-blocker, or WiFi protection.

These aren’t necessary features, but many of Ivacy’s competitors have them. Overall, it offers the essential security features you want, but you’ll miss out on some advanced options.

Protocols

The protocols offered differ depending on your device. You can see the full details in the compatibility section. Windows, Android, and iOS devices can access all its best protocols, while the Mac app is lacking.

OpenVPN is the most secure protocol because it’s open source. This means it’s always being checked for vulnerabilities by people worldwide. The TCP option is supposed to be faster, but UDP did better in my speed tests. UDP is also more stable, so I recommend using it.

WireGuard is the fastest protocol. The other protocols provided are older, and I would only recommend using them if you really need to. For example, if you’re having problems safely watching one of your local platforms.

Some protocols don’t work with every server. The majority of its servers function with OpenVPN UDP, WireGuard, and IKEv2. However, I’d like to see more compatibility with TCP in the future.

Split Tunneling

Ivacy was the pioneer behind split tunneling, so it’s a shame its version isn’t one of the best. This lets you choose what traffic stays out of the VPN tunnel. I like to keep my banking app out of the tunnel, so they don’t think my account has been hacked.

Unfortunately, Ivacy’s split tunneling feature only lets you allowlist sites. This means you pick which sites move through the VPN tunnel. Other VPNs also allow you to blocklist sites, which can be more convenient. It also doesn’t work with WireGuard, which is disappointing.

Kill Switch

The kill switch functions effectively, however, it's crucial to remember to turn it on. This feature prevents your internet connection if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects. It ensures that you won't go online without encryption. It’s only available for Windows and Android apps for now.

Ivacy has a great privacy policy with only a few small concerns. The company has also undergone independent audits, but I do have a few concerns about them. It's not in the most privacy-friendly country. So, Ivacy is good in this category, but not perfect.

Does Ivacy VPN Keep Logs? No

Ivacy will not log any of your identifiable information. Its policy states it won’t record your online activities, VPN IPs assigned, your originating IP, browsing history, connection logs, outgoing traffic, connection times, or the data you’ve accessed.

It does keep the information you give them like the email address you use to sign up, your payment method, and “name”. However, a support agent told me you can decline to include your name or make one up.

The company may also know the country you’re connecting from based on your payment method. Additionally, it records anonymized crash reports, failed connection attempts, bandwidth used, and information related to speeds.

All VPNs keep some anonymized data to maintain their services, so what it stores doesn’t concern me. It’s tough to find a VPN that records less information than this.

Was Ivacy VPN Audited? Yes

Ivacy VPN claims to have undergone regular audits, but the reports aren’t public. When I reached out, support stated they could not disclose the results of their audits or who performed them. They simply told me that they’re IOXT-certified.

The IOXT (Internet of Secure Things) is an alliance between many huge cybersecurity companies, so that’s impressive. However, I really wish Ivacy made its independent audits available for anyone to read like many top VPNs do.

Based in Singapore

It’s located in Singapore, a country that gives information to the 5-Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between governments to share data on their citizens. That’s another knock against Ivacy because it means they could be compelled to store data in the future.

But so far, there haven’t been any incidents showing Ivacy storing identifiable information from its customers. Its parent company PGM Private Limited hasn’t faced any serious controversies either, so that may give you more faith in them as well.

Does Ivacy VPN Work in China? Yes

The support team advised me that using Ivacy VPN in China is possible.

Its website has great guides for using several OS' in China

While the Chinese government has banned many VPNs, there have been no publicly-reported cases of them going after the individuals who use them. However, my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. So, we urge you to read up on the local laws before you decide to use a VPN in the country.

Ivacy slowed my downloads significantly no matter what server I used. During my test, I downloaded a 700MB copyright-free movie. It normally takes me about 22 minutes to finish. However, with the optimized server in the Netherlands (the closest one to me), it would have taken nearly an hour.

A non-optimized server close to my location extended my wait time another 15 minutes. There are currently 20+ optimized servers for torrenting. However, it’s a bit annoying that you have to search for the P2P servers on its website.

It does have a “Secure Downloading” feature, which you can turn on to scan for malicious files. Its port forwarding feature could increase your torrenting rates, but you’ll have to pay extra for it (many VPNs offer this for free).

Torrenting is legal in most countries, but downloading copyrighted files is never legal. My team and I don’t condone any illegal activities, and we recommend you only access torrents in the public domain.

While Ivacy has the proper security and privacy features you want in a VPN for torrenting, its speeds are just too slow. You can find one of the best VPNs for P2P in this list.