IVPN review
Choose IVPN if you want signup without email, private payment options and a named owner. Watch the audit scope: recent reports cover sibling products and do not refresh the VPN's logging evidence.
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Score breakdown
One formula for every commercial vpn, explained on how we score VPNs.
Plans and the true 3-year price
| Plan | Term | Monthly | Renews at | 3-year cost | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 1 month | 1 month | $6 | $6 | $216 | 5 |
| Standard 1 year | 1 year | $5 | $5 | $180 | 5 |
| Plus 1 month | 1 month | $8 | $8 | $288 | 5 |
| Plus 1 year | 1 year | $6.67 | $6.67 | $240 | 5 |
| Pro Suite 1 month | 1 month | $10 | $10 | $360 | 10 |
| Pro Suite 1 year | 1 year | $8.33 | $8.33 | $300 | 10 |
Providers change prices often, and we regularly verify prices against their own pricing pages, though small differences from current prices are possible. Prices checked 11 Oct 2026. Refund window: 30 days.
Who it's for
Pick it if
- You want account-number login without supplying an email address.
- You prefer paying with cash or Monero.
- You value open-source apps, Linux support and WireGuard configuration export.
- You want independent ownership with named leadership.
Skip it if
- You require recurring independent checks of logging claims.
- You need port forwarding or a dedicated IP.
- Your main task is connecting your own machines into a private network.
Audit evidence
| Date | Auditor | Type | Scope | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | Cure53 | OtherSibling product, not scored | Mailx email aliasing service (IVPN sibling product): pentest and source code audit of app UIs, APIs and setup. IVPN VPN systems not in scope. | Public report |
| May 2025 | Cure53 | OtherSibling product, not scored | modDNS DNS filtering service (IVPN sibling product): pentest and source code audit of app UIs, APIs and setup. IVPN VPN systems not in scope. | Public report |
| Mar 2024 | Cure53 | Infrastructure | Customer website UI and API (white-box pentest and code audit) plus related web servers and web infrastructure (gray-box). | Public report |
| Feb 2023 | Cure53 | Infrastructure | New VPN gateway server build: pentest and configuration review of the gateway server plus source code-assisted tests of the server OS setup, in a test environment (no production access). | Public report |
| Mar 2022 | Cure53 | App / client | Apps and daemon on all platforms (white-box code audit and pentest). | Public report |
| Mar 2021 | Cure53 | App / client | Apps and daemon: rewritten desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux) plus mobile apps for iOS and Android. | Public report |
| Jan 2020 | Cure53 | Infrastructure | Broad pentest and security audit of VPN service infrastructure, internal backend servers and public web servers (white-box, fieldwork late 2019). Published with vulnerability details redacted. | Public report |
| Mar 2019 | Cure53 | No-logs assurance | Verification of the no-logging claims in the privacy policy across VPN gateway and authentication servers. IVPN states this is its last and only no-logs audit and that it will not commission further no-logs audits. | Public report |
Ownership
- 2026 A vulnerability in the self-hosted BTCPay Server payment software let an attacker take the Lightning node credentials and move out the company's own operating balance; IVPN states no customer data or customer funds were affected and the VPN infrastructure was not involved.
- 2025 The iOS app could briefly send traffic outside the tunnel during WireGuard key rotation (a possible DNS leak); fixed in iOS app v2.12.5, other platforms not affected.
Security and features
- WireGuardYes
- RAM-only serversUnknown
- Full-disk encryptionUnknown
- Post-quantum optionYes
- Open-source appsYes
- Kill switchYes
- Split tunnellingYes
- Multi-hopYes
- Port forwardingNo
- IPv6Yes
- WireGuard config exportYes
- SOCKS5 proxyYes
- Custom DNSYes
- Linux app (GUI)Yes
- Linux CLIYes
- Dedicated IPNo
Network Provider-reported
- Servers89
- Countries41
Account and payment privacy
- Sign up without emailYes
- Account-number loginYes
- CashYes
- MoneroYes
- BitcoinYes
Our take
IVPN's audit history needs to be read by scope. The public no-logs assurance engagement dated Mar 2019 examined privacy-policy claims across VPN gateway and authentication servers. IVPN calls this its last and only no-logs audit and says it will not commission further engagements of that kind. Later public reports examine apps, gateways and web infrastructure, which answer different questions. The gateway review dated Feb 2023 tested a new server build without production access. The reports dated May 2025 and May 2025 cover Mailx and modDNS respectively, with VPN systems outside their scope. They add no fresh evidence about VPN logging.
The incident history also calls for distinctions. In 2026, a vulnerability in IVPN's self-hosted payment software exposed Lightning node credentials and allowed an attacker to take the company's operating balance. IVPN states that customer data, customer funds and VPN infrastructure were unaffected; the disclosure lag was 0 months. The iOS incident in 2025 concerned the tunnel itself: WireGuard key rotation could briefly send traffic outside it, creating a possible DNS leak. That issue was fixed, and other platforms were unaffected. These incidents warrant scrutiny without treating a payment-system compromise as a VPN breach.
Founder and CEO Nicholas Pestell owns IVPN Limited, giving you a named person accountable for the business. Independent ownership makes the chain of responsibility easier to understand, but it does not establish how the service handles traffic. The transparency report and warrant canary offer additional disclosures to examine alongside the technical evidence. For everyday account privacy, the practical benefit is concrete: you can sign up without email, log in with an account number and pay using cash or Monero. Those choices reduce the personal details you need to hand over.
The listed starting and renewal rates match, so the pricing decision centres on commitment and what you need from the plan. Standard 1 year costs $5 a month on a 1 year term and renews at $5 a month. Across the comparison period in the table, it totals $180, versus $216 for Standard 1 month. That makes the longer commitment cheaper over that period, but only useful if you stay. Check the included benefits before paying for Plus or Pro Suite; the 30 days refund window gives you a defined period to assess the fit.
Against alternatives such as Mullvad VPN and Proton VPN, IVPN deserves consideration when account privacy, clear ownership and configurable apps drive your decision. Its Linux GUI and CLI, WireGuard configuration export and custom DNS support are useful if you manage your own setup. Compare those needs directly rather than letting the overall score settle the choice. Port forwarding and dedicated IPs are absent, which may rule it out for a specific workflow. If your goal is reaching your own machines, start with the private-access comparison before choosing a commercial VPN subscription.
FAQ
Has IVPN had a no-logs audit?
A public no-logs assurance engagement dated Mar 2019 examined the privacy-policy claims across VPN gateway and authentication servers. IVPN says this was its last and only no-logs audit and that it will not commission further ones. The newer Mailx and modDNS reports cover sibling products, with IVPN VPN systems outside their scope.
Can I use IVPN without giving my email address?
Yes, IVPN supports signup without email and uses an account number for login. Cash and Monero are payment options if you want to limit the personal information associated with your subscription.
Does IVPN get more expensive when it renews?
The listed starting and renewal rates match across the plans. Standard 1 year starts at $5 a month and renews at $5 a month, so the listed saving depends on your chosen commitment rather than an introductory discount.
Can I use IVPN to reach my home server?
IVPN has no port forwarding or dedicated IP option, so it does not provide those routes for inbound access. If reaching your own machines is the goal, assess a private-access setup using the Tailscale versus WireGuard comparison.
Does IVPN work with Linux and custom WireGuard setups?
IVPN offers a Linux GUI and CLI, and supports WireGuard configuration export. Custom DNS and split tunnelling are also supported, but check the controls available in your chosen client before committing.
Who owns IVPN?
IVPN Limited is owned by founder and CEO Nicholas Pestell, and the business is independent. That gives you a clear line of accountability, while the audit reports remain the evidence to examine for technical privacy claims.