IVPN vs NordVPN

IVPN and NordVPN are both high-quality services, but they come from different philosophies. IVPN has chosen to stay small and serves privacy-conscious users who value ethics and transparency. NordVPN grew by selling advanced security features to the mass market.

IVPN has strong principles. It chose to remove port forwarding and offers anonymous signup. It is also completely transparent about its operations and has regular independent security audits. NordVPN is trustworthy too, though it runs more like a traditional tech company with conventional business practices.

NordVPN has more features: Double VPN encryption, CyberSec ad-blocking, Onion over VPN and specialty servers. IVPN offers fewer features and concentrates on doing the core privacy ones well. For streaming, NordVPN is much stronger at geo-unblocking, with SmartPlay technology. Streaming is not a priority for IVPN.

The pricing models differ a lot. IVPN charges by the number of simultaneous connections (2 or 7 devices). NordVPN's standard plans cover 6 devices and come in more flexible pricing tiers. NordVPN's apps are easier to use and its support is more comprehensive. IVPN's interfaces are privacy-focused, with a boutique feel.

Both have excellent privacy credentials, earned in different ways. IVPN relies on ethical business practices. NordVPN relies on audited policies and security innovation.

Your view of privacy and the features you need decide this. Choose IVPN if you are a privacy purist who can do without advanced features or streaming. IVPN is the right choice if you value ethical business practices, operational transparency and anonymous signup. Choose NordVPN if you want a full set of security features, excellent streaming and wide device support. It also suits people who prefer a feature-rich service at a competitive price. Privacy advocates who put ethics first will find IVPN's principles stronger. For mainstream users, NordVPN offers better overall value and more functionality.