Surfshark is a flexible and dependable VPN with a tight no-logs policy and simple, intuitive clients. While it doesn’t have the bigger server list, the network is more than sufficient to deliver great speeds and secure access to your favorite content online. IPVanish is also impressive for streaming, with a very attractive interface that's easy to use and lets you see how the VPN works. IPVanish also has a far larger global server array.

While both VPNs allow P2P activities on their servers, IPVanish has its headquarters in the US and follows a Digital Millennium Copyright Act compliance policy. As a result of that policy, some of our readers have reported that their torrenting activity on IPVanish has been detected. Surfshark directs all P2P activity to its Netherlands servers, but it might be the safer choice for torrent fans, especially if you’ll be downloading from the US.

Surfshark is impressive on Windows, owing to a clean client that’s easy to use, even for beginners. You’ll find plenty of features, including quick connect, anti-malware, split tunneling, and leak protection. IPVanish has a stylish Windows client of its own, however, with automatic IP cycling and a lot of visual appeal. Both VPNs include OpenVPN as the default protocol.

You’ll find several rare and useful extras in Surfshark’s Android app. The WhiteLister feature allows you to customize your VPN traffic with precision, and private DNS settings boost security. IPVanish competes with an Android app that gives you obfuscation and IP cycling, two very useful features for bypassing geoblocks and censorship walls.

IPVanish provides excellent security on Mac. The client includes auto-reconnect and a kill switch, while supporting a variety of protocols, including OpenVPN and L2TP. Surfshark is just as good when it comes to speed, but the default (and only) protocol in the MacOS app is IKEv2. If you want Surfshark with OpenVPN on your Mac, you’ll need a manual setup.

Both VPNs offer stable iOS apps with brilliant interfaces that run the IKEv2 protocol. Normally, IPVanish would have an obvious advantage here, thanks to its impressive 10 simultaneous connections allowed. However, Surfshark manages to beat that number by allowing you to use an unlimited number of devices at the same time.

IPVanish has 500+ servers in the United States alone – almost as many as you’ll find in Surfshark’s entire network. While both VPNs work with popular American websites like US Netflix and Hulu, IPVanish gives you more options for region-exclusive sports streams and other US-only events. For private browsing within the USA, however, Surfshark is the better pick because it’s based outside of the country and operates under a legitimate zero-logs policy.