My Ivacy VPN review result is overall pretty positive. A Chinese friend of mine first recommended it to me, saying Ivacy is one of the virtual private network services that actually work within the GFW (Great Firewall of China), enables her to Google search and stay connected to her Facebook while she's back in her country. I've been using it for the past 4 weeks and it's been working great.
I see other VPN reviews and Ivacy never seems to be listed at the top. People seem to be generally unhappy with the level of support that Ivacy provides. Sadly, I have to agree on that one.
The price is good - one of the cheapest I've ever seen, and that's actually good enough for me. I guess what determines the best VPN service really, really depends on what you prioritise. I see many techies talk about things like '256-bit military grade encryption.' It means secure enough to protect information at a top secret level but, phew! Above my head! What on earth do they have so much to hide? From who?
I write VPN reviews myself from time to time because I use it for work, so I'm interested to search for the best VPN services. I live in the UK and I need a connection to some sites only accessible in the USA, Canada, Australia and places like that. So what I personally look for in VPN is (1) the reasonable speed and (2) the price.
My questions are, do you need a thousand server locations, and do you really need a Russian spy level of protection? Do you personally know somebody whose identity's been stolen because she/he used a wrong VPN? Aren't people a little too obsessed with cyber security in that respect?
Ivacy VPN
Ivacy is based in Singapore, and has been in the business since 2007, so it's good to know the company is well established. Singapore is one of the countries who are partnered with Five Eyes (FVEY), the international surveillance alliances. So if you are a political activist or some extremist... or a pedophile... Be aware that Ivacy VPN will be obliged to pass on your information to an intelligence agency upon request. Having said that, the only information Ivacy will have is your email address. It swears to keep you secure and anonymous and no activities are logged. Apart from the no logs policy, it serves;
Available Apps, Extensions & Manual Setup
Ivacy VPN apps are available for Windows, Mac, iOS (iPad/iPhone) and Android for easy download & install.
Connected - on Mac (left) and on iPhone (right)
I'm a Mac & iPhone user and have Ivacy app on both devices. I also use an extension for Chrome browser as well as Firefox on my Mac. Super easy & handy. I find no problem as far as installation and connection are concerned.
Ivacy also supports other devices (manual installation) on Linux, Blackberry, Smart TV, Openelec, Kodi, various consoles and routers.
Pricing - $2.25 per Month
VPN service business has become pretty competitive in recent years and the prices are coming down. And the price range Ivacy is offering is definitely attractive.
*** October 2018 Update:
The most popular option right now is for 2 years contract. You pay $54 in advance for 24 months, i.e. works out as $2.25 per month.
1 year option is $40 ($3.33 per month), that's also a pretty good, competitive rate.
And there are even cheaper option; pay $80 for 5 years in advance, i.e. $1.34 per month. Sounds so great, though I wouldn't personally pay for services beyond 2 years. Who knows if a standard VPN price comes down even cheaper, or even becomes free everywhere in the near future? So my recommendation is definitely either 1 year option for $40 or 2 years option for $54.
Available Countries and Server Locations
Ivacy VPN confirms that it works (i.e. can be used) in the following countries;
- North America: Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, United States
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
- Asia: Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE
- Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
- South America: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela
- Africa: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Seychelles, South Africa
And it has over 450+ servers in 100+ locations across 33 countries. The countries you can connect to are;
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong (SAR), Italy, Japan, Korea, South, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA.
The Speed
I've tested frantically like a hundred times, connected to all the locations. The results vary but fast enough; more than happy on home broadband.
Home broadband speed without VPN:
Ivacy connected to Washington DC, USA:
Ivacy connected to Tokyo, Japan:
Also tested on my phone, it's hard to judge from the 4G signal I was getting at the time in central London...but it's fast enough.
[left] normal 4G speed - [middle] connect Ivacy to Canada - [right] Ivacy speed
Help and Support
Email support is a huge letdown. It doesn't exist, I would say. I've sent 4 questions, all of which were ignored. So don't bother sending a support ticket.
Although I find most of the Live Chat agents extremely helpful. Always someone would appear and answer my question within a minute, literally. One of them was abrupt, took him ages to type, only to give me a three-word answer.
FAQ pages are rich in content (the best I've ever seen in VPN service websites) and you can easily find what you're looking for by inserting a keyword in the search bar.
Netflix OK!
In case you're wondering...you can watch US Netflix by using Ivacy extension for Chrome or Firefox.
This, I'm not a Netflix user and haven't tried it myself, but the support agent has confirmed it with me. If you want to be really sure of it, just ask them on live chat, available at the bottom-right corner of the Ivacy website.
Refund Policy
Ivacy offers 30-day money back guarantee. Unless you've bought a one-month account, in which case 7-day money back guarantee applies.
An old refund policy that said "You must not have consumed more than 500 MB bandwidth limit nor have exceeded 30 sessions limit." to be eligible for money-back, no longer applies.
Ivacy VPN Review Summary
I would have given 5 stars if the email support wasn't so rubbish, though the live chat staff are generally helpful. Other than that, I would recommend Ivacy for the following main reasons;
If you are an Ivacy user, let me know of your experience by leaving a comment below.
I have Used Ivacy for 5 years now and no problem. Today though I connect to Brazil (Sao Paulo) and when i run a speed test through Ookla it say I am connect to Sweden (Stockholm)……………………Not happy!
Hi Trev, thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder if it’s a common problem with any VPN services because I’ve experienced the same problem with another company in the past. I hope it won’t happen again to you with Ivacy. Thanks for your comment!
I don’t recommend it. I left after 1 year because I could use it some times. I could not log on and I spoke to someone on the live chat. He said someone else will have to contact me to sort it out. By the time someone else came back to me connection was ok. But I really needed to use it and it didn’t connect. It’s rubbish.
Ivacy has the worst support. Don’t use it. Not recommended.
Hi, thanks for your comment. I’m not sure their level of support is “worst”, but at least I know one live chat agent who is friendly!
I have used Ivacy and was not happy neither the speed or support. Support staff are friendly but all they do is to forward me a document. When I asked about the problem they told me to send a ticket and they could not solve it. I was not happy. You get what you pay for.
Hi Anil, thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately that’s the problem I had with Ivacy too. I hope they realize this and improve the service – I appreciate the friendly agents but perhaps to keep up with the backlog of queries. Thanks for your comment.
To me I would rather like to choose a mediocre service rather than something that’s extreme. In this case if a support is so rubbish I would not want it. I would not mind waiting for a reply for a day or even up to a few days. Ignoring a support ticket completely is really bad, even if the rest of the service is excellent.
Hi Maha, thanks for your comment. Yes the support isn’t good, but as I said in the post, you can contact them via live chat so if any problem occurs, they might still be able to sort it out for you. Ivacy provides fairly good service otherwise.
Touch wood I’ve not had to contact support but overall I’m happy.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I appreciate it!
I was impressed by the speed of response on live chat. Somebody answered immediately and my questions were answered. He gave me the links to faq pages and clearly explained. I am still not sure if I try Ivacy. I’m shopping around right now. Will decide by the end of this month.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your experiences. Yes the live chat support seems to be very good. The problem I’ve had was with the support ticket. There are some technical issues that the live chat agents cannot solve by themselves. So they’ve kindly passed my messages for me, unfortunately I never got a single response. I no longer use Ivacy myself but I was happy with the connectivity. Thanks for your comment!
I’m using Nord right now and I’m not happy because it has p2p servers so I can download easily. I used to use Ivacy but didn’t like the connectivity. I found switching servers difficult.
I found Ivacy’s customer service excellent but it’s been over a year perhaps it’s going downhill. They need to find better ways to improve the service all in all.
Hi Samira, thanks for your comment. Maybe I’m an unlucky one, I have seen other users’ opinions that say Ivacy’s support is excellent. But it is the fact that I have not received an email response despite of several times of my attempts (I asked the live chat agent, and they’ve passed on the message). VPN service is very competitive, so as you say, some improvements should be expected!
Hi Ray, great review. I don’t mind about the level of support as long as it’s secure and the connection is stable. I’m traveling South America in a few weeks time and looking for a good vpn. Ivacy is on my list now. Thanks.
Hi Shaun, at least the live support is efficient enough, so if you have a problem you can get in touch with them pretty quickly. Have a great time in South America, thanks for your comment. If there’s any more questions don’t hesitate to get back to me any time!
Hi, great review. I used to use Ivacy but was not happy with the way I was treated by the support. I made several requests and queries regarding the locations and security issues but I’m pretty certain they have a policy to ignore in the first instance. I had to chase them up until they finally responded but the level of help and service was never satisfactory.
Since I moved to Express VPN I am very happy. Don’t use Ivacy if you want a good support.
Hi Victor, thanks for sharing the info. I’m pretty disappointed to hear that, as Ivacy’s support staff have been great to me so far. I hear that Express VPN provides good service also. Personally I’m very happy with Ivacy but if I find something else and change my opinion, I will certainly update this page. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it.
Not bad, not bad, good connectivity, I prefer using an app for more security, rarely use the browser extension, very easy to use, I have 3yrs.
Hi Fian, thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad to hear you like the service!
What’s up bro, I took your advice and tried Goose VPN, I thought it was pretty good but it didn’t have a browser ext. I took your other advice and went for Nord VPN. I’m happy with it. Now you are saying this one’s better? Which one do you recommend the most…
Hi Sammy, they all seem good to me, actually. Goose was a nice little app for me but like you say, it doesn’t offer a browser app, and I felt the pricing was a little unfair – $2.99 per month if you live in the US, €2.99 if you live in the Europe, £2.99 if you live in the UK. I love NordVPN but often I find better connectivity with Ivacy. Right now Ivacy is my best recommendation from my personal experience. But I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with Nord, because I’m happy with it too. Thanks for your comment!
I’ve been using Ivacy for over a year and am generally happy. I use it for my work purpose to mask my ip location. I only need locations in T1 countries. it seems to be covering well. I don’t know how many servers in the USA. I am happy with the speed. Occasionally I get a slow connection but all I have to do is to disconnect & reconnect.
Someone from Ivacy VPN contacted me and asked me to write a review. Obviously they are trying to get more customers and want more affiliates. The problem is when I google IVACY REVIEW the first 4-5 pages are all by affiliates trying to sell it rather than writing honest reviews. You are giving 5 stars also. I cannot trust this company for that reason. The door to VPN world is wide open. There are so many competitors who must be giving the same or similar standard of service. Why should you choose this one? Ivacy does not give anything to stand out from the crowd to customers, but it gives credits to affiliates. Not a good marketing strategy. I bet it will not last very long.
Thanks for your comment. As you say, many VPN companies offer very competitive prices. In my opinion Ivacy provides a very stable connection as I said in my post. In terms of affiliates – it’s not just Ivacy but the trend apply to any affiliate programs. Millions of product owners rely on their affiliates to spread the word. Some affiliates try to hard-sell while others write genuine reviews. Readers know who is real. Yes I have given ‘5 stars’ to Ivacy but I am only being true to myself. If you or any of my readers don’t trust my reviews, that is what it is 🙂 Thanks for sharing your opinion, I appreciate it.
I traveled around south asia and oceania and for 2 years including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, all across India etc and used Ivacy VPN all the way. I had no problem in connection except that once connected it had a temperamental speed in some countries. I can recommend it to anybody who is going to travel for a long period.
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing your experience. It’s good to know that Ivacy provides a good usability, though the speed seems to vary depending on the wifi connection that you have. Thank you, I appreciate your input.
I have not heard about Ivacy before. I am happy with Nord VPN but I will try when my traveling is finished and when I go back to my country. I will hope to use for longer period more than 1 year or 2 years. It is good to have 1 year free for me. Thank you.
Hi Marie, thanks for your comment. I take it you’ve been travelling around the globe and your VPN connection must be essential for you. NordVPN is very good, I also use it and very happy with it. I like Ivacy equally – not as many servers as Nord has but there are plenty, I have no problems with it. I hope you’ll enjoy it when you switch it. Thanks!
Ivacy is the most unhelpful vpn I’ve ever seen…. .staff are rude and abrupt. If u use used up too much bandwidth you cannot claim your money back. I dom’t trust them.
Hi, thanks for sharing our experience and thoughts. Please let me point out – as I mentioned in my post – 30 days money-back guarantee applies regardless to the volume of bandwidth you’ve used. Also as far as I am concerned, Ivacy’s support staff are friendly and professional. Sorry to hear that you’ve had a bad experience, but I do trust their service and would happily recommend Ivacy VPN.
I’ve never heard of Ivacy vpn it must be new. There are so many vpn services and I didn’t know which one to choose. I change every year. Price is good. I don’t want to shop around more frequently than once a year. 1+1 year free is a good option.
Hi Viktor, Ivacy’s been in business for 11 years now. As I mentioned in my post, the help pages are rich in content and the support agents are very helpful. That shows the company is well-established. The connection is very good and 1 year free option is my recommendation in deed. Thanks for leaving a comment.
I am a Ivacy user and very happy.
It takes me to connect without problem.
I can watch American TV’s. CNN. Any types of movie. I also use my phone.
I can watch youtube any places in the world.
I use it every day and do not want to change to another VPN.
Thank you.
Alex
Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. Good to know that you’re happy with Ivacy, I appreciate your input!
Hi Ray, I thought VPN connection is for people who live in a country where internet access is severely restricted and monitored, like China you mentioned. Or for people who specifically want to view country specific contents like Netflix. Just for curiosity, why do you need connections to US, Australia etc? No disrespect, but isn’t it illegal? I’m genuinely interested. Thanks!
Hi Joseph, thanks for your comment. Why I need connections to other countries – primarily with my job as a traffic provider, I advertise many sites on my clients’ behalf. Some of my regular clients offer products/services that are only available in USA, for example. So if I (who lives outside USA) looked at the site, I’d see a blank page. I need to take a look in order to be able to advertise…that kind of situation. I’m also originally from Japan, so a VPN server in Japan allows me to watch some Japanese programs etc. In a lot of occasions by all means, VPN is useful. Thanks for your visit.