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NordVPN vs Ivacy VPN vs AirVPN 2023

Table of Contents
    Rated: 9.4/10
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    Rated: 8.7/10
    %s User Reviews
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    Rated: 8.0/10
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    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Catherine Ablett
    Catherine Ablett

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    At first glance you would be forgiven for believing that there was little to choose between these three VPN providers. After all, they all provide excellent security features and work across multiple operating systems, including mobile and public hotspots among them. However it doesn't take much of a deeper look to realize that while there is a clear winner, there is an even clearer loser. While NordVPN offers the highest possible levels of security and they all offer access to geographically blocked content, AirVPN provides a perfectly good service, and what it lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in transparency and reliability. Our third provider however falls down on service, transparency and reliability. A once respected provider, Ivacy, is now not considered worth the cost of its fairly priced package. Its lack of transparency when it comes to customer services and privacy, and concerns over it being situated in Hong Kong put it way behind both AirVPN, which is based in Italy, and NordVPN that has encryption that the NSA would have trouble breaking. While all three offer a service that supports Netflix, P2P and Torrents, users need to be aware again of the China connection with Ivacy, and what this might mean for their privacy.

    Rating

    Features 9.4/10
    Pricing 9.6/10
    Ease of Use 10.0/10
    Reliability & Support 10.0/10
    Features 8.7/10
    Pricing 9.8/10
    Ease of Use 8.4/10
    Reliability & Support 8.0/10
    Features 8.0/10
    Pricing 8.7/10
    Ease of Use 7.8/10
    Reliability & Support 7.8/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Kristina Perunicic
    Kristina Perunicic

    Managing Editor

    10.0/10

    On the surface, NordVPN looks like a really impressive service. It claims to have a huge global server network, the ability to unblock tons of streaming platforms, and iron-clad security and privacy features. Plus, you can get it all for just $3.49/month. That all sounds great, but is there a catch? To find out, I did an in-depth analysis of NordVPN. I tested its speeds and how well it performs...

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    Latest positive user review
    J
    John Hoy
    10.0/10
    Best documentation was easy to understand

    I came from Surfshark which never worked correctly. I had to run from the browser extension with supp... ort telling me it was my network that was causing the problem. That was rubbish. I set Nord up and had it running in a short time from the documentation. I only had to ask support about accessing more servers than just the one I saw. Great product.More

    Latest negative user review
    D
    Dax
    6.0/10
    Average service, some nice features, rubbish support

    Basic features work really well. Basically. I liked the feature that when Nord crashes (as it seems to...  do monthly) it will shut other apps so they aren't exposed. My subscription is based in Australia. Found downloads peak at about 1-1.5Mb/s, which is ok as long as you aren't playing online games. Don't go for the frills (though hard not to when they gamify them). I canceled my subscription because I added the Kill switch and then MFA. Nek Minnit I can't even log in. No way to remove the Kill switch without logging in. Uninstalled, reinstalled no joy. Went to the help page, and it redirected me to up my subscription as the only solution. No chatbot where I am. and I don't have an email app so couldn't email help. After a couple of hours of mucking around. Gave up and went to a competitor. Note: if I hadn't played with the security settings, I would still be with Nord. But if I can't log in, it's a dead service to me.More

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    Review by our expert
    Author Image Matthew Amos
    Matthew Amos

    Senior Editor

    7.8/10

    Ivacy VPN claims to have several impressive features. It comes with tons of streaming-optimized servers for platforms around the world. Recently, it upgraded its servers to 10 Gbps and added WireGuard to increase speeds. On top of that, it works with tons of devices. But can it really compete with the top VPNs, or is it just another service that makes claims it can’t back up? To find out, I ...

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    Latest positive user review
    T
    Tom Hofmann, Germany
    10.0/10
    My full recommendation.

    Here is Germany. Here, too, the freedom of speech has ended. Of course, too much freedom of expressio... n promotes anti-Semitism. That's why you need a VPN. I have IVACY and I have to say that it works really well. The price is also quite cheap. My recommendation.More

    Latest negative user review
    B
    BmX
    2.0/10
    It's a scam

    Whatever you do, don't pay them anything. The money-back-guarantee only applies if you pay via credit ... card and the extras they offer like the free cloud space are for 1 month only (and it is totally useless). Their windows client is full of background-hidden advertisement calls which is why it is marked as 'misleading' by most antivirus companies.More

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    Review by our expert
    Author Image Benjamin Lee
    Benjamin Lee

    Junior Editor

    7.4/10

    Founded in 2010, AirVPN started as a passion project for a group of individuals dedicated to internet privacy and net neutrality. It offers a large selection of 7 subscription plans, which makes it seem like it would be a good value for money. So, I was curious to test it out and see how it works with some of the popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and oth...

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    Latest positive user review
    M
    Marco
    8.0/10
    I am AirVpn cusomers since 2015, and on my gear works remarkably well

    I am working in the biggest country in Asia since 2006. I constantly use AirVpn on my MacBook Pro sinc... e 2015, and on my iPhone - iPad. I never had an issue, of any kind, with it, and I was quite amazed to read the article above. Lately, it is very difficult to get it properly run on iPhone and iPad, but this is more the result of this country where I live in restrictions than the vpn in itself. While in Hong Kong was still working fine, but as soon as I crossed the border troubles started. I will tweak that as soon as I will be out again. In the rest of the world, I never had issues. So I do not give the 5th star just because of my at present troubles using it on my iPhone and iPad. For the rest, I will stick with it.More

    Latest negative user review
    J
    Jhon
    2.0/10
    Very bad performance

    AirVPN is by far the slowest VPN I have ever used. Whichever protocol and/or server I have used, it di... dn't make any difference. My internet speed decreased by over 90%, download speed as well as upload speed. When you take a look at the AirVPN forum, you will notice loads of users are experiencing the same issue, for which AirVPN obviously has no solutions.More

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    Pricing

    Starting price $3.49/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 6 devices
    See Plans
    Starting price $1/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 10 devices
    See Plans
    Starting price $2.93/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 5 devices
    See Plans

    Best VPN by category

    Best VPN Overall

    AirVPN is an overall solid provider, with superb encryption and a selection of impressive features. However, the VPN's high prices, lack of support for protocols other than OpenVPN, and relatively small server network make it less popular than the other two competitors. Ivacy VPN is an excellent service that can access popular geoblocked content. However, NordVPN impressively surpasses both VPNs by offering topnotch encryption, solid privacy, simplified access to restricted sites, a wide range of features, and attractive apps for all major platforms, all at a low cost.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    All three providers allow torrenting. However, NordVPN has dedicated servers for torrenting at higher speeds and offers cheap subscription plans.

    Best VPN for Windows

    NordVPN has a very slick and intuitive dedicated client for Windows. It’s equipped with a number of security features, including a kill switch and Double VPN encryption. NordVPN for Windows also has preset modes for various online activities. It is therefore much easier to use than AirVPN, which is more aimed at tech-savvy users. Ivacy also provides a good Windows app, but the money-back guarantee has significant restrictions, and the provider's location in Singapore raises privacy concerns.

    Best VPN for Android

    NordVPN has a more user-friendly app for Android than Ivacy and AirVPN. With a kill switch, obfuscated servers, Double VPN and access to the Tor network, NordVPN offers a complete VPN service for Android. AirVPN focuses primarily on technical matters that aren't that important to most VPN users.

    Best VPN for Mac

    Mac users will appreciate the simplicity of NordVPN’s client. AirVPN for Mac requires a technical background to navigate through the app, while Ivacy doesn’t give you much room for customization. NordVPN makes it much easier, faster, and cheaper to secure your Mac internet connection.

    Best VPN for iOS

    NordVPN offers a dedicated app that can be used on 6 different iOS devices at the same time. The app gives you stable connections for streaming geoblocked content around the world. Ivacy provides a decent app for iOS devices as well. AirVPN doesn't have a native iOS app and so must be manually configured, which could be difficult for VPN beginners.

    Best VPN for USA

    NordVPN boasts a far larger network of US servers (almost 2,000 as of writing) than Ivacy and AirVPN. Both NordVPN and Ivacy can overcome geo-restrictions on US streaming services. However, NordVPN offers better connection speeds, a stronger privacy policy, and 6 connections per account, one more than you get with Ivacy and AirVPN.

    The Bottom Line

    NordVPN is a clear winner in terms of number of servers, server locations and IP addresses it has for users to avail themselves of, not to mention its 30-day money back guarantee. This is much longer than the 3 days offered by AirVPN, and actually pays out unlike that of the 7-day guarantee of Ivacy, which prefers to tie its users up in red tape. It is Ivacy's customer service approach that really brings it down and takes away from its feature list, which actually rivals that of NordVPN. All three providers offer various payment options, but in terms of value for money, top rate security and round the clock support, you just cannot beat NordVPN.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with NordVPN
    Go with Ivacy VPN
    Go with AirVPN
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is NordVPN better than Ivacy VPN and AirVPN?

    Yes, NordVPN is better overall than Ivacy VPN and AirVPN. It has 5384 servers in 60 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $3.49 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between NordVPN, Ivacy VPN and AirVPN?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then NordVPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests.

    Is NordVPN faster than Ivacy VPN and AirVPN?

    Yes, NordVPN is faster than Ivacy VPN and AirVPN. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free.. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do NordVPN, Ivacy VPN or AirVPN offer any deals?

    NordVPN, Ivacy VPN, and AirVPN offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.