IPVanish Essential vs IPVanish Advanced: key differences explained

When it comes to buying a VPN, there’s a lot to consider. Even the best free VPNs, despite their functional limitations, will encrypt your browsing activity, hide your identity and location, and access a few geo-blocked streaming services.

That’s sufficient for the casual user (although caution should still be exercised when downloading a freebie). Yet most top VPN providers will offer a number of subscription options to suit your circumstances, each one integrating cybersecurity solutions and different features to provide robust protection against a range of digital threats.

IPVanish is one such provider. With VIPRE’s award-winning malware baked in, it offers an array of advanced security capabilities.

You'll find two plans available if you try to sign up: Essential and Advanced. But which one is right for you? The following guide will break down the particulars of each subscription and everything you can gain from them.

IPVanish: from only $2.19 per month

IPVanish has long been a reputable VPN provider that's packed with handy security settings and features. Despite the affordability of its plans, you still get the benefit of:

💻 Use on unlimited simultaneous devices
🎴eSIM data usable in 200+ countries
🌍 Ad, tracker, and malware protection

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What does IPVanish Essential include?

A single IPVanish Essential sub will cover unlimited devices. That means you get simultaneous, unlimited connections on all your tech as well as for members of your household. It can be installed on Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android devices, plus smart TVs, and its bank-grade AES-256 bit encryption protects your online data from hackers, trackers, or cyberattacks.

It has a cache of 56,000 dynamic IP addresses, making it difficult for ISPs and cyber snoops to monitor your web habits, plus, a SOCK5S proxy that delivers enhanced IP anonymity. Meanwhile, you can relax knowing IPVanish takes your privacy seriously, having earned VPN Trust Authentication and its second independently-verified no-logs policy.

With an excess of 3,200 servers – among which a growing number are RAM-only – in over 150 different locations, IPVanish can bypass geo-blocked services and streaming sites almost anywhere. In our dedicated IPVanish review, the VPN client accessed most major streaming services, including Netflix and Disney Plus, in addition to BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Australia’s 9Now.

It comes with some nifty foolproof settings too. Don’t think twice about activating your VPN with automatic startup, and – should your connection drop – the kill switch immediately immobilizes your regular internet and halts any unencrypted traffic. Another neat failsafe? DNS leak protection, which stops DNS queries from exiting your VPN and going to your ISP instead.

On top of all that, there are additional features like Double VPN, which routes your traffic through an additional server and applies a second layer of encryption. It’s a great safeguard, though not always offered by even some of the top names in VPN.

And for those woes a traditional VPN can’t vanquish? IPVanish has Threat Protection, which blocks malware, pop-ups, and browser-based tracking to reduce the likelihood of advertisers profiling you or becoming targeted by phishing scams.

Looking to customize your VPN? It’s split tunneling and VPN protocols help optimize your web connection for different needs. The former lets you choose which websites bypass your VPN for a local, more optimal connection, while a range of protocols are available catering to security, speed, privacy, or a mix of all three. The WireGuard protocol facilitates lightning-fast speeds.

There’s dedicated, 24/7 customer support. Plus, IPVanish Essential users receive 3GB of eSIM data, available to activate in your choice of over 200 countries.

What does IPVanish Advanced include?

It should go without saying, but all the benefits you get with Essential are included with IPVanish Advanced. But the next tier up also throws in a few extra features that could significantly raise your security game.

Integrated into Windows and Mac apps, Secure Browser blocks 99.9% of browser-based threats. Confining your web activity to IPVanish servers in the cloud, digital terrors like spyware, trojans, and zombie cookies never even reach your device. Instead, they – and all your session data – are eradicated on exit. It’s a great way to safeguard yourself from digital fingerprinting and other tracking threats. But with a 30-hour usage limit, Secure Browser is best used judiciously.

1TB of cloud storage is available with the top-tier plan, allowing you to backup 1 computer and up to 5 mobile devices. It’s ideal for digital nomads, more likely to have their laptop damaged or stolen in transit, or encounter malware on unprotected public Wi-Fi. Thankfully, you’ve got a backup available should that happen. Plus, file sync & share functionality keeps the latest version on the cloud, and available to anyone you’ve given access.

Like the Essential plan, an Advanced subscription comes with an eSIM – hiked up from 3GB to 5GB – which supports IPVanish users to access the web securely while overseas. And, in addition to 24/7 digital support, phone support during business hours is here too.

Essential or Advanced: which IPVanish plan should I choose?

IPVanish Essential provides sufficiently extensive protection for most people. It’s packed with comprehensive features – Double VPN, split tunneling, Threat Protection, a kill switch – which work together to safeguard you against all manner of digital hazards.

And with each subscription extending to unlimited devices, it offers fantastic value for individuals, tech-heads, or big families who require secure web access while surfing the net, streaming, or banking online.

For anybody looking for all the bells and whistles, IPVanish Advanced is perfect to ratchet up your security and reduce your digital footprint – and, at a far-from-prohibitive monthly increase, most would benefit from a few fantastic additions.

Secure Browser is ideal for those seeking ironclad anonymity, invaluable for digital nomads or journalists navigating online censorship under repressive regimes. It also provides peace of mind to frequent travelers that, even if they lose their tech, cloud storage means important files are always backed up.